He came into Washington by train as a
simple passenger, accompanied only by his son, who was but fourteen years
of age. They were not recognized, and arriving at a hotel, valise in
hand, with a crowd of passengers, he registered in his turn: "U. S. Grant
and son, Galena, Ill." The clerk, not noticing the name, assigned the
modest arrival and his boy to a small room on the fifth floor. Then they
moved away, a porter carrying the valise. But the clerk happened to look
again at the register, and when he saw more clearly he rushed after them
with a thousand apologies. He did not expect the victor of great battles,
the lieutenant-general commanding all the armies of the Union, a battle
front of more than a million men, to come so modestly.
When Harry heard the story he liked it. It seemed to him to be the same
simple and manly quality that he found in Lee, both worthy of republican
institutions. But he did not have time to think about it long. The
signs were multiplying that the advance would soon come. The North had
never ceased to resound with preparations, and Grant would march with
veterans. All the spies and scouts brought in the same report. Butler
would move up from Fortress Monroe toward Richmond with thirty thousand
men and Grant with a hundred and fifty thousand would cross the Rapidan,
moving by the right flank of Lee until they could unite and destroy the
Confederacy.
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