Lincoln, the unknown

198 • LINCOLN THE UNKNOWNGeneral Adam Badeau, Grant's military secretary and aidede-campand one of the closest friends General Grant ever had,was detailed to escort the ladies that day. He sat on the frontseat of the carriage, facing them and with his back to thehorses. He was an eye-witness to all that occurred, and I amquoting now from pages 356-362 of his book entitled "Grantin Peace":In the course of conversation, I chanced to mention thatall the wives of officers at the army front had been orderedto the rear—a sure sign that active operations were in contemplation.I said not a lady had been allowed to remain,except Mrs. Griffin, the wife of General Charles Griffin,who had obtained a special permit from the President.At this Mrs. Lincoln was up in arms. "What do youmean by that, sir?" she exclaimed. "Do you mean to saythat she saw the President alone? Do you know that I neverallow the President to see any woman alone?"She was absolutely jealous of poor, ugly Abraham Lincoln.I tried to pacify her and to palliate my remark, but shewas fairly boiling over with rage. "That's a very equivocalsmile, sir," she exclaimed: "Let me out of this carriage atonce. I will ask the President if he saw that woman alone."Mrs. Griffin, afterward the Countess Esterhazy, was oneof the best known and most elegant women in Washington,a Carroll, and a personal acquaintance of Mrs. Grant,who strove to mollify the excited spouse, but all in vain.Mrs. Lincoln again bade me stop the driver, and when Ihesitated to obey, she thrust her arms past me to the frontof the carriage and held the driver fast. But Mrs. Grantfinally prevailed upon her to wait till the whole partyalighted. . . .At night, when we were back in camp, Mrs. Granttalked over the matter with me, and said the whole affairwas so distressing and mortifying that neither of us mustever mention it; at least, I was to be absolutely silent,and she would disclose it only to the General. But the nextday I was released from my pledge, for "worse remainedbehind."The same party went in the morning to visit the Armyof the James on the north side of the river, commanded