LIEUT. U. S. GRANT AND GEN. ALEX. HAYS.
CAPTAIN GRANT.
From a daguerreotype (one-fourtli of the above size) given by him to Mrs. Grant, and worn by her on a wristlet.
mg with them, these detectives obtained the details of the plot.
Mr. Lincoln passed through Baltimore in advance of the time announced for the journey (in accordance with advice given by me to Mr. Seward, and which was carried by Mr. Frederick W. Seward to Mr. Lincoln), and arrived safe at Washington on the morning of the day he was to have passed through Baltimore. But the plotting to prevent his inauguration continued; and there was only too good reason to fear that an attempt would be made against his life during the passage of the inaugural procession from Willard’s Hotel, where Mr. Lincoln lodged, to the Capitol.
On the afternoon of the 3d of March, General Scott held a conference at his headquarters, there being present his staff, General Sumner, and myself, and then was arranged the programme of the procession. President Buchanan was to drive to Willard’s Hotel, and call upon the President-elect. The two were to ride in the same carriage, between double files of a squadron of the District of Columbia cavalry. The company of sappers and miners were to march in front of the presidential carriage, and the infantry and riflemen of the District of Columbia were to follow it. Riflemen in squads were to be placed on the roofs of certain commanding houses which I had selected, along Pennsylvania Avenue, with orders to watch the windows on the opposite side and to fire upon them in case any at-
need feel under no obligations to me. I have done my best toward saving the Government of the country and to insure the regular inauguration of the constitutionally elected President on the 4th of next month.”
As President Lincoln approached the capital, it became certain that desperate attempts would be made to prevent his arriving there. To be thoroughly informed as to what might be expected in Baltimore, I directed a detective to be constantly near the chief of police and to keep up relations with him; while two others were instructed to watch without the knowledge and independent of the chief of police. The officer who was near the
chief of police reported regularly, until near the last, that there was no danger in Baltimore ; but the others discovered a band of desperate men plotting for the destruction of Mr.Lincoln during his passage through the city and by affiliat-
report to him in person. Mr. Swett remained several days in the capital, had frequent and long conversations with General Scott and myself (and I suppose also with many others), and with me visited the armories of some of the volunteer companies. As he drove with me to the railway station on his departure, Mr. Swett said:
“Mr. Lincoln, and in fact almost everybody, is ignorant of the vast amount of careful work which has been done here this winter, by General Scott and yourself, to insure the existence of the Government and to render certain and safe the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln. He will be very grateful to both.” I replied, with more sincerity than tact: • ‘ Mr. Lincoln has no cause to be grateful to me. I was opposed to his election, and believed in advance that it would bring on what is evidently coming, a fearful war. The work which I have done has not been done for him, and he
president, another a distinguished ex-governor of a State, etc. In every ease where the indications were distinct, they were followed up to learn if real danger existed. So many clear indications pointed to Baltimore, that three good detectives of the New York police force were constantly employed there. These men reported frequently to me, and their statements were constantly compared with the information received from independent sources.
Doubtless, Mr. Lincoln, at his home in Spring-field, 111., received many and contradictory reports from the capital, for he took his own way of obtaining information. One night, between eleven o’clock and midnight, while I was busy in my study over the papers of the day and evening, a card was brought to me bearing the name “Mr. Leonard Swett,” and upon it was written in the well-known hand of General Scott, “Colonel Stone, Inspector-General, may converse freely with Mr. Swett.” Soon a tall gentleman of marked features entered my room. At first I thought it was Mr. Lincoln himself, so much, at first glance, did Mr. Swett’s face resemble the portraits I had seen of Mr. Lincoln, and so nearly did his height correspond with that attributed to the President-elect. But I quickly found that the gentleman’s card bore his true name, and that Mr. Swett had eome directly from Mr. Lincoln, having his full confidence, to see for him the state of affairs in Washington, and

THE WASHINGTON ARSENAL. 7