Letter from Apr. 25, 1865

Sir Charles Hastings Doyle to Ulysses S. Grant

  • Full Title

    Sir Charles Hastings Doyle to Ulysses S. Grant

  • Description

    In this letter from Sir Charles Hastings Doyle, a friend of Ulysses S. Grant and major-general in command of British troops in the Atlantic area, Doyle expresses his sorrow over the assassination of Lincoln. Doyle also goes on to thank Grant for his hospitality while visiting him in Center Point, Virginia and invites Grant and his wife to visit his home in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

  • Transcription

    Pray remember me most kindly to Mrs. Grant and all of your staff.

    Halifax, Nova Scotia
    April 25th, 1865

    My Dear General,
    I only returned yesterday from the Island of Bermuda, a distant part of my command, and heard, for the first time, on landing, of the glorious termination(for so it may now be called,) of your campaign against Rebeldom, and also the dreadful intelligence of the assassination of the President and attempts to murder both Mr. Seward and his son, which I heard with dismay and sorrow. Each and all of them having treated me with so much kindness upon both occasions of my visiting Washington - There seems to me to be every probability of the recovery of the two latter, and I hope if their lives are spared, you will kindly, when they are well enough to see you, express to them my very sincere condolences upon all the sufferings they have undergone but, the chief cause for my taking up my pen is, to offer you my very sincere congratulations upon your continuous and glorious successes, How much I should have liked to remain another fortnight with you to have been an eye witness of this wind up of your Campaign. You have gained imperishable honor and glory, and I hope you will live to enjoy them for many a long year to come - In conclusion I have only to remind you of your promise to pay me a visit, and to bring Mrs. Grant with you, that I may have an opportunity of repaying, in part at any rate, the kindness and hospitality you so obligingly bestowed upon me - I hope, the campaign being now over, there can be no doubt of your being able to carry your promise into effect - when you are able to make up your mind upon the subject you must let me know, that I may not be absent from home when you come

    -Yours Sincerely Hastings Doyle General

  • Source

    Library of Congress, Ulysses S. Grant Papers

  • Rights

    This item is in the public domain and may be reproduced and used for any purpose, including research, teaching, private study, publication, broadcast or commercial use, with proper citation and attribution.

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  • Cite this Item

    Sir Charles Hastings Doyle. "Sir Charles Hastings Doyle to Ulysses S. Grant". Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/1130