How General Grant cares for his soldiers.
General Grant, says the Cleveland
Herald, has issued a special order forbidding steamboat men to charge more than five dollars to enlisted men, and seven dollars to officers, as fare between
Vicksburgh and
Cairo.
Immediately after
Vicksburgh had fallen, a large number of steamboats cleared from Northern ports for that place, and were in the habit of charging soldiers going home on furlough from fifteen to thirty dollars fare to
Cairo.
A friend relates to us that the steamer
Hope was compelled by
General Grant to disgorge its ill-gotten gains the other day, under the following circumstances: This boat had about one thousand enlisted soldiers, and nearly two hundred and fifty officers, aboard,
en route for home on short leave of absence, after the fatigues of their protracted but glorious campaign.
The captain of the
Hope had charged these men and officers from ten to twenty-five dollars apiece, as fare to
Cairo.
Just as the boat was about to push off from the wharf at
Vicksburgh, an order came from
General Grant requiring the captain to pay back to his passengers all money received by him as fare in excess of five dollars to enlisted men, and seven dollars to officers, or submit to imprisonment for disobedience and have his boat confiscated.
The order was an astonisher to the captain, but the presence of a guard rendered it useless to refuse, and so, amid the shouts of the soldiers over
General Grant's care of their interests, he complied with as good grace as possible, and paid back the money.
Our informant, himself a passenger on the
Hope was present when
General Grant issued the order above referred to. The General, upon being informed of the impositions being practised upon furloughed men and officers, by steamboat men, was very indignant.
“I will teach them, if they need the lesson,” said the gallant General, “that the men who have perilled their lives to open the
Mississippi River for their benefit cannot be imposed upon with impunity.”
No wonder that the soldiers of the army of the Mississippi fairly worship their General.
