March 4 Wednesday – General Grant had resigned his commission rather than wait till retirement, which left him without retirement income. Upon failure of Grant & Ward brokerage firm on Wall Street, the General was bankrupt. Chester A. Arthur’s last act as out-going president was to sign the bill reinstating Grant’s pension (See Perry’s Grant and Twain for a full account of the political machinations.) Sam was there when the General got the good news telegram.

The New York Times reported under “Personal Intelligence,” p.8, that Sam was staying at the Everett House, which would show (given the normal one day delay of local reporting) that Sam arrived in New York from Washington on Mar. 3. He telegraphed from New York to Livy on Mar. 4:

We were at General Grants at noon and a telegram arrived that the last act of the expiring congress late this morning retired him with full Generals rank and accompanying emoluments. The effect upon him was like raising the dead. We were present when the telegram was put in his hand [MTP; AMT 2: 496].