No. 42.
Mr. Kasson
to Mr. Evarts.
Vienna, August 27, 1878. (Received September 11.)
Sir: General Ulysses S. Grant, ex-President of the United States, in the course of his European tour, arrived at Vienna on the 18th instant. He was accompanied by Mrs. Grant, and did me the honor to accept the invitation to be my guest during his sojourn in this capital.
With much pleasure I endeavored to fulfil on my part the instructions contained in your circular of the 23d of May, 1877. He was greeted at the station by the personnel of this legation and the consul-general, and conducted in my carriage to the legation. He was presented to the emperor on the 20th, and dined with his imperial majesty on the 21st, taking place at the right hand of the emperor, who had also previously detailed an aide-de-camp to be at the general’s disposal during his sojourn at the capital. In addition to a dinner given to him by the consul-general, and also at the residence of the secretary of legation, and various guests invited to meet him at my house at lunches and dinners, the Americans resident here were invited by me to one formal dinner with him; and on the Saturday before his departure I gave another special dinner in his honor, with more numerous guests gathered from the higher Austrian official and military ranks and from the diplomatic corps.
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The ex-President left my house yesterday, the 26th instant, on his way to the mountains in the vicinity of Salzburg, where I have promised to join him for a few days. Through the intervention of the emperor’s, officers a special car was placed at his disposal, on which he left, hoping to find a period of rest for a few weeks in Southern Austria.
I have, &c.,