General Grant's Kindness by Annie Wittenmyer
Annie Wittenmyer recounts meeting a poor, grieving mother on a packet boat during the war. Her sick, homesick son in Tennessee has begged her to come nurse him, but officials at Cairo refuse her a pass because they suspect she may be a spy. Though she plans to walk or evade the guards, Wittenmyer directs her to General Grant, who is aboard the boat. The frightened woman shows him her son’s letter and insists that she is a loyal Union woman. Grant studies both letter and mother, then writes a pass allowing her to travel down and return without charge. He tells her that a mother who has given her son to the government deserves free passage. Years later, Grant says he always permitted good, loyal mothers to visit sick sons, showing that he judged people by character rather than dress or social appearance.
By Annie Wittenmyer · First published 1895 · Genre: Historical Anecdote, Civil War Literature, Biographical Sketch · 1,150 words
First lines
One morning during the war, coming down on the packet boat that plied between Cairo, Ill., and Columbus, Ky., I noticed a woman weeping as though her heart would break. Her calico dress and coarse blanket-shawl betokened abject poverty, and her face was hidden; and she sobbed out her anguish in a coarse bandanna handkerchief.
Laying my hand gently on her shoulder, I said, --
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Genres
- Historical Anecdote — The work recounts a brief, purportedly true incident involving General Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War.
- Civil War Literature — Its setting, central conflict, military travel restrictions, Union loyalty, and depiction of a sick soldier all arise directly from the American Civil War.
- Biographical Sketch — The narrative emphasizes Grant's character, using a representative episode to portray his compassion, fairness, and leadership.
- Inspirational Literature — The story presents kindness toward a distressed mother as a morally uplifting example of humane conduct.
Tags
American Civil War · Union Army · General Ulysses S. Grant · military passes · Cairo, Illinois · Tennessee · Mississippi River packet boat · wartime travel · sick soldier · homesickness · mother-son bond · maternal caregiving
What this Textopian page supports
General Grant's Kindness is listed on Textopian as a historical account by Annie Wittenmyer, dated 1895 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Historical account
- Author: Annie Wittenmyer
- Date: 1895 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Anecdote, Civil War Literature, Biographical Sketch, Inspirational Literature, Moral Tale
- Length: 1,150 words
- Structure: 1 section, 34 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for General Grant's Kindness by Annie Wittenmyer
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