One of the leading gathering places during the Gilded Age in Washington D.C. was the home of Henry and Clover Adams. The great-grandson of John Adams and the grandson of JQA would ride for 2 hours a day, work on his history the United States for 5 hours, with the evenings given to dining in his home on Lafayette Square frequented by the high and mighty of the time. A product of her times, Clovis had to express herself as best she could without attracting too much public notice.
One night in 1882 General Sherman was a guest. He regaled everyone by recreating his march to the sea on the host's tablecloth.
Pushing battalions of silverware this way and that, the fiery general sent the rebel army clattering to the floor with the sweep of his bread knife. High entertainment!
"Well done, General," I would have said had I been there. Perhaps anecdotes about General Grant might have followed. We all know how General Sherman stood by General Grant when he was drunk, and Grant stood by Sherman when he was crazy. A perfect pair.
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