[
160]
removed from those who had hitherto been in some sort his associates.
That day there was no geniality, no familiar jest, hardly a smile; but the man who became the chief of a nation of fifty millions and stepped into the ranks of earth's mightiest potentates might well be grave.
His personal staff attended him to the
Capitol and afterward to the
White House, where their military relations with him ceased.
He desired them to meet him the next morning in the
Cabinet chamber, and then returned to his private residence, which his family did not vacate for several weeks.
He directed me, however, to remain at the
White House and receive any communications for him during the day. In this way it happened that his first correspondence as
President was with me. I give it in full:
Executive Mansion, March 4, 1869.
dear General,—
Mr. George H. Stuart is one of a committee, the others being the
Chief-Justice and
Senator Frelinghuysen, who desire to present you in the name of some religious society with a Bible.
They will wait on you whenever you say—except that the
Chief-Justice must be at the Supreme Court, and
Mr. Stuart leaves here to-morrow night.
If you will send word to me what time will suit you, I will let
Mr. Stuart know.
Mr. Stuart proposes to-morrow morning before ten o'clock, or if the court does not meet till eleven, before that time.
With great respect,
Your obedient servant,
My note was returned to me, and on the back of it
Grant penciled these words, the first he wrote as
President:
To-morrow before 10 A. M. at my house, or between 1 A. M. and 3 P. M. at the
Executive Mansion.
U. S. G.
The meeting took place in the
Cabinet room, and
Chase presented the
Bible, expressing a hope that its contents might enable
Grant to fill his high office worthily.
The
