Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 November 1879 — Gen. Grant Tells a Story. [ARTICLE]

Gen. Grant Tells a Story.

Now. as to telling stories, I have no particular gift in that way. Sometimes, conversing about the affairs of the war, something that is said calls up au anecdote or a good story where something occurred of a ridiculous, pathetic, amusing or illustrative character. I might tell, if I could happen to think of them, of some things that occurred that Mr. Lincoln told me at times when he visited me in the field, and I will tell you one thing that occurred juit after the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. I have often heard the same story attributed to Mr. Lincoln in different ways, but this is the way it occurred with me: “I hurried back to Washington with all haste, to stop the enormous expenditure the Government was making at that time in the way of purchases, enlistments and drafting. While I was not positive that there would be further hostilities or any further efforts made on the part of the rebel armies, yet I thought it wasnot unlikely there would be, and that it was better to take proper precautions, so I ordered the army of the James back to Burke’s station, to remain while we could go over to Washington and do as I say—stop expenditures that were being made. As you ail remember, the authorities in Richmond had taken flight, and they never stopped till they got to Danville. Finding we were not pressing, they did not stop there. Supposing I was at Burke’s station. Extra Billy Smith, as he was called, who was Governor of Virginia at that time, sent a letter through by a flag of truce to me, which Gen. Meade received, and, without letting them know I was not there, telegraphed to me at Washington. The letter was to this effect: That he ww Governor of the Commonwealth of

Yirginia, and as such he had temporarily rexiioved the seat of Government from Richmond to Danville, and he was de sirpus of knowing from me whether he would be permitted to exerciee the functions of his office in. Danville unmolested, or, if not, if he and a few friends would be permitted to leave the country. I was iu doubt about the best way to answer it, when I happened to meet Mr. Lifiooln on the sidewalk, and told him about it. He supposed I was asking him for instructions, and bis answer was thus: * I will tell you,’ he said. ‘ It’s like an Irishman I once heard of who was in the habit of drinking whisky. He had done so for a long time. At last he joined a temperance society, but the habit of drinking was strong upon him. He wanted to take something, and so for a time he took soda water, but one day he put his glass around and said, ‘ Doctor, can’t you put a drop of brandy in that unbeknownst to me? ’ Mr. Lincoln couldn’t have said any plainer that Extra Billy Smith could have gone and taken as many of that sort of drinks as he pleased.”