A VISIT FROM ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Loring Remembers Grant’s Visit to Egypt
in January, 1878.

In 1880, William Loring was campaigning for Democratic candidates in Tallahassee, Florida. A reporter asked him about President Ulysses Grant’s visit to the land of the pharaohs.

You met General Grant in Egypt?

Yes, our meeting was rather odd. We both had served in Mexico as young men. When he came to Cairo all was excitement for his reception. The Government brought in all the Arab Chiefs and Pashas so as to make the affair more imposing. Counsul General Farman, a very fine gentleman, took charge of the entertainment. I allowed the Pashas—I was then, by-the-way, a Pasha myself—to meet General Grant first. When I came up, among the crowd, wearing my Egyptian Uniform, the General turned his eye on me, without a moment’s hesitation, extended his hand and called me by name. It was thirty-one years since he had last seen me. That was at the taking of the City of Mexico—at the Garita de Belen. There I lost this arm. Grant and I were in the charge together. When I was wounded they carried me up to the castle of Chapultepec, which we had captured, and there, with the battle for the gates and citadel going on before my eyes, my arm was amputated! The excitement of the spectacle drove away all sense of pain, and like Poreau, I smoked a cigar while they were sawing into my poor bones. It is not often I talk of this, but vivid recollections are upon me now, and meeting Grant under such different circumstances renewed everything in my memory. The matchless valley of Mexico comes back to me like a brilliant dream. It is a lovely land, there where we fought in the prime of youth, and things of that kind impress upon us more when we are young. I hope to revisit Mexico yet, renew my acquaintance with the walls battered by the bullets of our heroic little army. None but an army of heroes could have accomplished the conquest of Mexico.

But I must tell you more about that meeting with Grant in Egypt. We took him out to Heliopolis and sat down to rest under the tree which is said to have sheltered the Holy family when they fled to Egypt. The spot is half a mile from On, of the Bible and is called Materia. Across the Nile, a short distance, we could see the spot where Bonaparte fought his immortal “Battle of the Pyramids,” and where he made his renowned “forty centuries behold your actions” address to the army. Every foot of the ground was pregnant with some historical remembrance.

The Counsul General played a trick on me, though. I had a speech prepared to deliver in honor of Grant. The Counsul General stole my speech, absolutely stole it, and I got left, of course.

Well, next day, we took our guests to the great pyramids, which are as you know some eight miles out of Cairo. General Grant was placed in an excellent position facing Bonaparte’s battle-field and with the pyramids for a background. A number of Bedouins in their picturesque garb got up on the structure to add to the effect. My friend, the Counsul General, placed himself near the ladies to good advantage. I was talking to some Bedouins when I noticed the operator fixing the camera. Immediately I rushed between the Counsul General and the instrument. The picture was taken, and I had completely blotted him out. This is how I got my revenge out of him for stealing my speech. Grant was very amused at the incident. Let me say I would not be so free in telling you this only that the General is out of politics, and (laughing) I cannot expect any office from him.