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--> --> May 14: Plain food for General Grant By Jeff Cheek It is unfortunate that Grants' failure as a president mars his reputation as a soldier. Even sadder, his innate decency and compassion are forgotten. Having known failure and humiliation, Grant tried to spare inflicting these on others. When he forced his friend, General Simon Bolivar Buckner, CSA, to surrender Fort Donelson, the terms were harsh: Unconditional surrender. That was his military side, but after the surrender he took Buckner aside and handed him his purse. He knew Buckner would need money to support his family while in prison, and Grant wanted to help. When General Lee came to surrender at Appomattox, he wore a dress sword for the traditional military surrendering of a sword ceremony. Grant saw this and spared the great Southern commander this final humiliation. His hand written note gave directions for collecting Confederate weapons, but included the phrase "This will not embrace the side-arms of officers." General Lee kept his sword. Later, he greeted General Longstreet, CSA, by inquiring "Pete, when are we going to finish that game of brag?" He deliberately reminded his foe of a time when their roles were reversed. Before the war, Longstreet was an important official in St. Louis. Forced out of the army in disgrace, Grant supported his family by cutting firewood and peddling it in the city. But Longstreet always made time to play a card game called "brag" with his old West Point classmate. Grant's final battle was his hardest and bravest. His administration was plagued with scandals when his advisors used his position to amass fortunes. The brokerage firm he founded, Grant and Ward, went bankrupt when Ward fled, leaving Grant penniless and heavily in debt. The final blow was a diagnosis of throat cancer, a death sentence. Grant's salvation was an offer of $500,000 for his memoirs from Webster and Company. Already ill, the old soldier willed himself to live long enough to finish the task. It would allow him to leave something for his family. He worked steadily as cancer ravaged his body. Swallowing was painful so he existed on a liquid diet. He gave up his beloved cigars. When he could no longer speak, he communicated with written notes. And at last on July 10, 1885, he finished the second volume. He wrote a note: "My work is done." The old soldier had won his last battle. He dedicated it to "the American soldier and sailor." When someone said he should dedicate it only to Yankees, the old lion roared back "It is a great deal better that it should be dedicated as it is ... it may serve a purpose of restoring harmony." He died on July 25, 1885. His wife found a note he left, asking her to "look after our dear children" and bidding her farewell "until we meet in a better world." His pall bearers included Union generals Sheridan and Sherman as well as Confederate generals Johnson and Buckner. In 1892 his widow, Julia Dent Grant, was asked to provide a recipe for a cookbook. Her recipe for veal olives reads: "Slice as large a piece as you can get from a leg of veal; make stuffing of grated bread, butter, a little onion (minced), salt and pepper; spread over slices. Beat an egg and put over stuffing, roll each piece tightly and tie with a thread, stick a few cloves in them, grate bread thickly over them after they are put in the skillet with butter and onions chopped fine; when done lay them on a dish. Take the threads off and garnish with eggs, boiled hard, and serve. To be cut in slices." Jeff Cheek lives in Medford Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing