April 1 Friday – Bills/Receipts/Statements from Hartford merchants:

Sykes & Newton, chemists and druggists, $5 for Jan. 3 purchase, paid Apr. 9; Fox & Co., “fine groceries, teas, wines & segars” $57.04 “to Mdse as per pass book”, paid Apr. 9; Seyms & Co., $1.75 “one bot v oil” on Mar. 17, paid Apr. 5; Connecticut Telephone Co., $25 “extra extension bell” Mar. 1 to Apr. 1 rental, service April to July 1; Western Union Telegraph Co. $2 for April (messages not specified), paid May 4; William H. Bulkeley, dry goods $178.87 for two pages of items purchased Jan. 5 to Mar. 31; Haynes & Simmons, “fine boots, shoes & rubbers” $19.95 for misc. heels, dressings, repairs Feb. 3, 14, 16, Mar. 14, paid Apr. 2; H.O. Griswold $4 for “1 bbl apples, 3 bushels apples”; J.G. Rathbun & Co., druggists & chemists $63.23, for long list of items, including 500 cigars for $22.50, bunion plasters, rat exterminator, Pond’s extract, deutine, etc., paid Apr. 9; Wm. Roberts, harnesses, saddles, etc. $2.90 misc. parts, paid Apr. 5; Fred. Kingsley, “meats, fish, poultry & vegetables” $50.04 “bill rendered by passbook”; Smith, Northam & Robinson, feedstore $28.37 for meal, shorts?, hay, oats Jan. 27, Feb. 5, Mar. 2, paid Apr. 5 [MTP].

Ulysses S. Grant wrote two letters from Galvesgton, Texas to Sam. In the first he enclosed a note to show Yung Wing (not in file) to be forwarded to Li Hung Chang. He apologized for not reading Sam’s letter when it came; if he had read it he would have “arranged a meeting.” In his 2nd letter, Grant wrote the Chinese “have nothing to fear from the United States in the way of interference in their home affairs.” He explained how the US would treat Eastern countries differently than Europeans [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “From Gn. Grant. / 2 letters on the vast Chinese business”

Jesse M. Leathers wrote from NYC that Osgood had refused his 12,000 word MS, an autobiography [MTP]. Note: see Sam’s Mar. 4 to Howells. MTHL 358 also Sam to Osgood Mar 30.