having taken place in the mean time the new quartermaster would not receive them without my order, except at rates he could then get the same articles for from other parties. This I refused to give. The contractors then called on me, and tried to convince me that the obligation was binding, but finding me immovable in the matter, asked if General Allen's approval to met at that time; they immediately became contracts, and a change of quartermaster friends, and during the great struggle Washburne was the constant supporter and sturdy defender of the Silent Commander, who would never defend himself from the shameful charges that were frequently made against his private character, and also as a soldier. When Grant became President he appointed Mr. Washburne his Secretary of State, but after occupying that high office for a few weeks, he was the contract would not be sufficient. My sent as the American representative to France. He filled that position with preeminent ability and signal distinction, publishing after his return to the United States a valuable and interesting work, in 2 octavo volumes, entitled Recollections of a Minister to France, 1869-1877: LA GRANGE, TENN., Nov. 7, 1862. Not having much of special note to write you since your visit to Jackson, and knowing that you were fully engaged, I have not troubled you with a letter. I write now a little on selfish grounds. I see from the papers that Mr. is to be called near the President in some capacity. I believe him to be one of my bitterest enemies. The grounds of his enmity I suppose to be the course I pursued while at Cairo towards certain contractors and speculators who wished to make fortunes off of the soldiers and government, and in which he took much interest, whether a partner or not. He called on me in regard to the rights of a post sutler for Cairo (an appointment not known to the law) whom he had got appointed. Finding that I would regard him in the light of any other merchant who might set up there, that I would neither secure him a monopoly of the trade nor his pay at the pay-table for such as he might trust out, the sutler never made his appearance. If he did he never made him self known to me. In the case of some contracts that were given out for the supply of forage, they were given, if not to the very highest bidder, to far from the lowest, and full 30 per cent. higher than the articles could have been bought for at that time. Learning these facts, I immediately annulled the contracts. Quite a number of car-loads of grain and hay were brought to Cairo on these reply was, in substance, that General Allen was chief quartermaster of the department, and I could not control him. They immediately left me, and, thinking over the matter, it occurred to me that they would go immediately to St. Louis and present their contract for approval without mentioning the objection I made to it. I then telegraphed to General Allen the facts, and put him on his guard against these men. For some reason, however, my despatch did not reach St. Louis for two days. General Allen then replied to it, stating that those parties had been to him the day before, and knowing no objection to the contract he had approved it. The parties then returned to Cairo evidently thinking they had gained a great triumph. But there being no money to pay at that time and because of the bad repute the quartermaster's department was in, they were afraid to take vouchers without my approval. They again called on me to secure this. My reply to them was that they had obtained their contract without my consent, had got it approved against my sense of duty to the government, and they might go on and deliver their forage and get their pay in the same way. I would never approve a voucher for them under that contract if they never got a cent. I hoped they would not. This forced them to abandon the contract and to sell the forage already delivered for what it was worth. Mr. took much interest in this matter and wrote me one or more letters on the subject, rather offensive in their manner. These letters I have preserved, but they are locked up in Mr. Safford's safe in Cairo. I afterwards learned from undoubted authority that there was a combination of wealthy and influential citizens formed, at the beginning of this war, for the purpose of GRANTS FOR STATE COLLEGES-GRASSE-TILLY monopolizing the army contracts. One of their boasts was that they had sufficient influence to remove any general who did not please them. The modus operandi for getting contracts at a high rate, suppose, was for a member of this association to put in bids commencing at as low rates as the articles could be furnished for, and after they were opened all would retire up to the highest one who was below any outside person and let him take it. In many instances probably they could buy off this one for a low figure by assuring him that he could not possibly get the contract, for if he did not retire it would be held by the party below. American Revolutionary War; and died in Paris, Jan. 11, 1788. On Aug. 3, 1781, the French fleet, under his command, appeared on the American coast. He had sailed from France, towards the end of March, with twenty-six Grants for State Colleges. On July 8, 1901, the United States Treasury Department drew warrants aggregating $1,200,000, or $25,000 each, for the State and Territorial agricultural colleges, being the maximum amount provided for by Congress in the act of Aug. 30, 1890, for the endowment and maintenance of colleges for the benefit of agriculture and mechanic arts. This act provided a min imum sum of $15,000 for that year, with an annual increase of $1,000 for ten years up to $25,000. The maximum was reached in 1901, and hereafter each of the States and Territories will receive annually this sum for its agricultural colleges. This money is the proceeds of the sale of public lands. ships-of-the-line, followed by an immense convoy of about 250 merchantmen. That convoy he put safely into the harbor of Port Royal, having carefully avoided a close engagement with a part of Rodney's fleet, under Admiral Hood. He engaged with British vessels at long range (April 29), and so injured them that they were obliged to go to Antigua for repairs, and, meanwhile, he accomplished the conquest of Tobago in June. He then proceeded with the fleet of merchantmen to Santo Domingo, and soon afterwards sailed with an immense return convoy, bound for France. After seeing it well on its way, he steered for the Chesapeake, and, despite the activity of British fleets watching for him, he was safe within the capes of Virginia, and at anchor, with twentyfour ships-of-the-line, at the beginning of September. He found an officer of Lafay ette's staff at Cape Henry, sent to request him to blockade the York and James rivers, so as to cut off Cornwallis's retreat. This was done by four ships-of-the-line and several frigates; and 3,000 French troops were sent to join Lafayette. Grape Island, AFFAIR AT. In Boston Harbor was Grape Island, to which, on Sunday morning, May 21, 1775, some British troops repaired to secure hay; for so closely were they besieged in Boston, that only on the islands in and near the harbor could they procure grass or straw or fresh meat. Three alarm-guns were fired; the drums beat to arms; the bells of neighboring towns were rung; and very soon about 2,000 of the men of that region were flocking to the water's edge. They scon obtained a lighter and a sloop, when many jumped on board, pushed off, and landed on the island. The British fled, and the Americans burned the hay they had gathered. Grasse-Tilly, FRANÇOIS JOSEPH PAUL, COUNT DE, naval officer; born in Valette, France, in 1723; entered the navy when eleven years old; was conspicuous in the Admiral Rodney supposed part of the French fleet had left the West Indies for America, but did not suppose the whole fleet would take that direction. He thought it only necessary to reinforce Ad miral Graves, so he sent Admiral Hood Yorktown. She was a magnificent vessel, with fourteen ships-of-the-line for the pur- which the city of Paris had presented to pose. He reached the Chesapeake (Aug. the King (Louis XV.). The count fought 25, 1781) before the French. Not finding his antagonist with such desperation that Graves there, he proceeded to New York, when he was compelled to strike his colors where news had just arrived that the only two men besides himself were left French squadron at Newport had gone to standing on the upper deck. By this desea, plainly with intent to join the new feat and capture there fell into the hands French fleet. In the hope of cutting off of the English thirty-six chests of money one or the other of the French fleets be- and the whole train of artillery intended fore the junction could be effected, Graves Isailed with the united British fleets, nineteen ships-of-the-line, and was astonished, when he arrived at the capes of Virginia, to find the French anchored within. De Grasse, also surprised at this sudden appearance of a heavy British fleet, ordered his ships to slip their cables and put to sea. For five days the contending vessels manœuvred in sight of each other. De Grasse avoided a close contact, his ob- for an attack on Jamaica. The French ject being to cover the arrival of the squadron from Newport. So a distant cannonade was kept up. De Barras entered the Chesapeake. Graves finding his vessels badly shattered, returned to New York to refit, leaving the French in undisturbed possession of the bay, and the French transports were then sent to Annapolis to convey to the James River the allied armies. On April 12, 1782, a fierce naval engagement occurred in the West Indies be COUNT DE GRASSE-TILLY. COUNT DE GRASSE'S AUTOGRAPH. lost in the engagement, in killed and wounded, about 3,000 men; the British lost 1,100. For more than a century the French had not, in any naval engagement, been so completely beaten. The family of De Grasse were ruined by the fury of the French Revolution, and four of his daughters (Amelia, Adelaide, Melanie, and Silvia) came to the United States in extreme poverty. Congress, in February, 1795, gave them each $1,000, in consideration "of the extraordinary services rendered the United States in the year 1781 by the late Count de Grasse, at the urgent request of the commander-in-chief of the American forces, beyond the term limited for his co-operation with the troops of the United States." Grassi, JOHN, clergyman; born in Verona, Italy, Oct. 1, 1778; settled in Maryland as the superior of Jesuit missions in 1810; returned to Italy in 1817. He was the author of Various Notices of the Present State of the Republic of the United States of America. He died in Italy, Dec. 12, 1849. Graves (LORD), THOMAS, was born in 1725; died Jan. 31, 1802. Having served under Anson, Hawke, and others, he was placed in command of the Antelope, on the North American station, in 1761, and tween Count de Grasse and Admiral Sir made governor of Newfoundland. In George Rodney. The count's flag-ship was 1779 he became rear-admiral of the blue, the Ville de Paris, the same as when he and the next year came to America with assisted in the capture of Cornwallis at reinforcements for Admiral Arbuthnot. |