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satisfied with her present position; it was far greater than she had ever expected to attain.
But Mrs. Lincoln exclaimed; ‘Oh!
you had better take it if you can get it. 'Tis very nice.’
Then she reverted to Mrs. Ord, while Mrs. Grant defended her friend at the risk of arousing greater vehemence.
When there was a halt Major Seward, a nephew of the Secretary of State, and an officer of General Ord's staff, rode up, and tried to say something jocular.
‘The President's horse is very gallant, Mrs. Lincoln,’ he remarked; ‘he insists on riding by the side of Mrs. Ord.’
This of course added fuel to the flame.
‘What do you mean by that, sir?’
she cried.
Seward discovered that he had made a huge mistake, and his horse at once developed a peculiarity that compelled him to ride behind, to get out of the way of the storm.
Finally the party arrived at its destination and Mrs. Ord came up to the ambulance.
Then Mrs. Lincoln positively insulted her, called her vile names in the presence of a crowd of officers, and asked what she meant by following up the President.
The poor woman burst into tears and inquired what she had done, but Mrs. Lincoln refused to be appeased, and stormed till she was tired.
Mrs. Grant still tried to stand by her friend, and everybody was shocked and horrified.
But all things come to an end, and after a while we returned to City Point.
That night the President and Mrs. Lincoln entertained General and Mrs. Grant and the General's staff at dinner on the steamer, and before us all Mrs. Lincoln berated General Ord to the President, and urged that he should be removed.
He was unfit for his place, she said, to say nothing of his wife.
General Grant sat next and defended his officer bravely.
Of course General Ord was not removed.
During all this visit similar scenes were occurring.
Mrs. Lincoln repeatedly attacked her husband in the presence of officers because of Mrs. Griffin and Mrs. Ord, and I never suffered greater humiliation and pain on account of one not a
S. S. Scranton and Co., Hartford, 1887.
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