General Grant's residence stands on the north side of Sixty-sixth Street, only a few doors from Fifth Avenue, and directly in the centre of the best residential quarter of New York City. It is a double mansion, built of brick, with brown stone trimmings, and an exceedingly massive and solid looking structure it is. The house faces toward the south, thus getting the advantage of the warm sun during the winter months and the cooling southern breezes of the summer. In this quarter of New York very many of the wealthiest people now reside, though only a few years ago the whole surrounding country was an unbroken and chaotic neighborhood, occupied by Irish squatters, billy goats and other hardy by inelegant creatures. The mansion in which Gen. Grant lived is a very plain building as to is exterior, but it looks like a structure which ought to have cost at least $150,000, unfurnished. The Grants, however, came into possession of it under exceedingly advantageous circumstances. The contract price for building the mansion was $110,000, but Gen. Grant bought the restablishment for $72,000. The hosue was subsequently furnished at an outlay of $25,000, although, of course, that amount does not begin to represent the contents of this building, which house the large quantity of very costly goods received by Gen. Grant during his tour of the world and a number of other presents bestowed upon him by admiring American citizens.

When the heavy front doors of the manison swing open one finds himself in a lofty and broad hallway, tiled and inlaid with mosaic. The tins of the walls and ceiling are gray, and all the coloring in the hall is of a subdued and quiet character. In the centre of the floor, facing the entrance to the drawing-room, is an inlaid monogram of the General's initials. The hall is lighted at night by mellow rays falling through the sides of a large Moorish lantern, the framework of which is beaten antique brass. Brazen small arms extend from the sides of this lantern, studded with opalescent glass in a number of colors. These arms are terminated in cups of tulip-like shape, which contain the lights. The woodwork of the hall and stairway is oak, carved in antique figures and very massive and handsome in its effect. A huge sofa stands against the wall, covered with heavy Portuguese leather, and is exceedingly inviting in its aspect.

At another place in the hall stands a heavy chair, framed in four immense elephant tusks, which was presented to Gen. Grant by the Maharajah of Deccan. When the General was visiting this dignitary during his tour of the earth, he expressed his admiration for the fine colletion of ivory which was lying loosely about in the principal apartments of the palace. Gen. Grant had not yet emerged from the dominions of the maharajah when he received the magnificent chair, made of the most conspicuous of the ornaments he had spoken of. Against the walls of the gret hallway there are some handsome engravings heavily framed, and a few trophies also hang there. The principal one of these is a heavy bronze, containing medallion relief portraits of Washington, Lincoln and Grant. It was presented to the General several years ago, and is a fine work, copies of which will undoubtedly be extensively sought for by the admirers of the greatest warrior of the present time.

The first floor of the Grant residence contains four apartments. The drawing-room lies to the left as one enters through the hall door; the library opens out of the drawing-room, and also has an entrance from the hall; the dining-room is straight in the rear of the big hallway, and on the right is a snug and elegant reception-room. The drawing-room, being the most conspicuous of any, may be described first. It is lofty, broad, and it impreses one with its size; the bay window throws a flood of light across the apartment, and also furnishes a fine, cosy sitting place in these days.

The walls and ceiling of this apartment are decorated in the dark tints which are called Moorish, and the general appearance of the room is of an oriental description. A heavy Axminster carpet of a light shade lies on the floor, and over it is an immense rug especially imported from India for this purpose. The woodwork around the sides of the room is of handsomely carved rosewood, and the best part of the furniture is framed in the same material, so carved as to match the trimmings of the apartment. Some of the articles of furniture are richly gilded, and many of them are covered with fine specimens of heavily embossed silk of various colors, thickly laid in with japanese gold embroidery. Pale yellow silk, embroidered in gold forms, handsome portieres and window curtains suspended upon polished brazen rods and relieved by keep folds of ruby velvet.

One of the most magnificent ornaments in the room is a cabinet made of agate and grotesquely carved. On the front of this cabinet is engraved Gen. Grant's monogram, encircled by a laurel wreath. When Gen. Grant was traveling through Mexico a native nobleman pressed upon him the gift of two massive slabs of onyx, which were, however, declined by reason of the fact that their value was considerably greater than the General cared to accept. The Mexican nobelman's generosity was, however, not to be balked in any such manner, and he afterward sent his gift to Mrs. Grant in New York. As a very considerable duty was imposed upon them they were allowed to remain for a long time in the custom-house, pending the contest which Gen. Grant proposed to make upon them. While they were awaiting this even they were seen by Charles T. Parks, a gentleman who formerly lived in Boston, but who is now the junior partner of a large New York firm. Mr. Parks, much struck by their beauty, was taken with the idea of making them into this cabinet, and he accordingly had them taken out of the custom-house and properly set up. They are said to be the finest specimens of onyx in the world.

Among the other ornaments in the great parlor is a superb folding screen, presented to Gen. Grant by the citizens of Tokio. This is covered with superb embroidery, representing most marvelous specimens of Japanese poultry. There are other cabinets in different parts of the room, two of them being made of teak, very handsomely carved, and holding upon their shelves a great number of specimens of porcelain and other bric-a-brac of the kind over which fashionable women rave; silver pedestals, onyx pedestals, a saddle handsomely ornamented in lacquer work, and a handsome lacquer cabinet. All these, presented to Gen. Grant by the Mikado of Japan, are in the room. The Maharajah of Deccan, who gave the General the massive chair framed in ivory tusks, already mentioned, likewise presented him with a silver filigree cabinet made in the form of an Eastern temple. This is a particularly costly ornament, and is said to have no counterpart in Europe or America. There is a fine marble bust of Gen. Grant standing in the bay window recess, and there are a number of paintings on the wall. One of these is Buchanan Reed's work, called "Sheridan's Ride." Is it sn exceedingly spirited picture, and hangs just over the mantel, opposite the doorway leading into the apartment. At the right of the entrance, opposite the Reed picture, is a portrait of Gen. Scott, executed by Page, and presented to Gen. Grant by the late Marshall O. Roberts. A portrait group representing the Grant family hangs near the big Sheridan picture. The General is the central figure in this painting, while at his right his daughter Nellie is seated upon a Shetland pony, opposite Mrs. Grant and the three sons. There are a number of other paintings, mostly of landscapes, in the drawing-room, but these I have mentioned are the only works of celebrated artists.

The reception-room across the hall is decorated and furnished in light blue. The dining-room, at the back, is pale green in the order of its decorations, and is a very comfortable looking room. The floor is of inlaid oak and mahogany, highly polished and covered nearly to the edges by a fine heavy rug. The dining table and chairs are of oak, handsomely carved, and the chairs are covered with embossed morocco. The windows are heavily hung with Turkish embroideries and the walls are paneled in green velvet.

The library, opening out of the drawing-room, is decorated as to its sides and ceiling in heavy Venetian red. A Persian rug of large dimensions lies in the centre of the floor, which is made of oak, ebony and rosewood. A fine Bengal iger skin is thrown upon the floor in front of the large fireplace, which is made of brass. The furniture is covered with Turkish and Pesian embroideries, and standing against the farthest wall is an open cabinet of some dark wood, containing a number of costly gifts received by the General during his memorable journey around the world. Noticeable among these and preserved as his most highly valued souvenirs are a lot of small silver boxes containg the freedom of the different cities which he visited while abroad. In one corner of the room is a cane which was long ago the property of the Marquis de Lafayette, this historic relic having been presented to Gen. Grant by a number of Baltimore ladies. The walls are decorated by pictures, small arms, and pieces of old steel armor. The curtains, which are rich and heavy, are made of Persian materials, with silk fringes and galloons, together with handsome satin and plush mountings. There are five thousand volumes ranged about the walls, these having been presented to Gen. Grant by the citizens of Boston. In the centre of the room there is a large table, coverd with manuscripts, scrap books and newspaper clippings. It is at this table that Gen. Grant had written his recent reminiscences, and the big, high-backed chair drawn up to the centre of the board is the one in which he has, while working, so heroically fought against the encroachments of his painful disease. Opposite him at the table is the chair occupied by his son, Col. Fred Grant, who has acted as his amaneunsis and copyist. Sometimes the General has dictated slowly to his son, and sometimes the latter has received the sheets of his father's work and copied them as fast as they were scratched off and shoved across to him. This apartment will long be remembered as the historic room in Gen. Grant's residence.

On the next floor above the one already described there are four chambers, reached by the broad, easy, and heavily carpeted staircase from the hall below. The two front rooms, each of them very large apartments, are occupied by General and Mrs. Grant. In these long and painful nights the old hero had reclined upon an immense brass bedstead, heavily canopied overhead. The room is comfortably furnished, the colors being warm in hue and the easy chairs and sofas presenting an inviting and luxurious appearance. The floor is covered by a large square rug, and the furniture is mahogany. Mrs. Grant's boudoir is the most elegant of the chambres on the floor. It is carpeted in heavy Wilton, and its ornaments are antique and costly. There is a handsome and elaborately designed breakfast table, a deep luxurious couch, and the chairs and sofas are of wicker work. A little desk made of inlaid woods and a couple of handsome bookcases complete the room, the prevailing colors in the decoration of which are seal brown.

Mrs. Grant's sleeping apartment is finished in old gold and blue, and the guests' chamber, which opens from the back of the upper hall, is frescoed in tints mainly of a dove color. On the third floor there are two suites of rooms, which are designed for the special use of the younger members of the family whenever they come to visit their parents. In both of these the floors are of hard wood, covered nearly to the edges with rugs, and the furnishings are of bamboo and bird's-eye maple. The decorations are in robin's-egg blue, and the rooms are all light and cheery. The upper floor is cut up into apartments for the servants. There is a billiard room in the basement of the mansion, which is a quite handsome apartment. The floor is of inlaid woods, and the walls, which are dark in color, are hung with some handsome steel engravings. The general impression conveyed by the interior of Gen. Grant's mansion is one of comfort rather than of elaborate luxury. Many of the articles which I have decribed, while being undoubtedly of some considerable intrinsic value, are far more highly held by reason of their associations than through the amount of their cost.

Gen. Grant's domestic relations were of the happiest nature. In fact, the home life of the Grants has been singularly beautiful and tender. The General's only daughter, Nellie, was married to Mr. Sartoris, an Englishman of good social standing and estate. His eldest son, Frederick, married a Chicago lady, at the time of her betrothal the reigning belle of Chicago, and to this daughter-in-law the General was devotedly attached. The other two sons also made happy matrimonial alliances. Only a year ago Gen. Grant remarked to one of his intimate friends: "I am an exeedingly fortunate man, and can confidently look forward to a comfortable old age. I have sufficient income to keep myself and dear wife in the most comfortable manner for the rest of our days, and our boys are doing well."

Unfortunately, great sorrows came in the life of the old soldier. His son became involved in Wall Street operations, and through the dishonesty of his partner, Ferdinand Ward, was financially wrecked, and, to protect his son's honor as a business man, the General also lost all of his possessions save the fund of $250,000, invested for his benefit; and at the same time was fully developed the cancerous affection which caused his death. At the time he was engaged in writing his history of the Rebellion, and had completed one of the proposed two volumes when he was stricken down by the disease. While on his deathbed, he said to one of his closest friends: "If I could only remove the stain of this disgrace, caused by the failure of my son, from the family name, I would write, I would work as long as I had the power to move my arms. The responsibility of battle and of leading the armies of the nation caused me no such concern as this failure. I had hoped that fortune would smile on me, so that I would be able to return all the money lost through my name being connected with the bankrupt firm, but now I am on my back and unable to do anyting." But there was one bright ray in this hour of darkness. The Government, in appreciation of his service in the war of the Rebellion, placed him on the retired list as General of the Army, with full pay.

Gen. Grant's only public utterances of importance during the last years of his life were his manly appeals to the President, Congress, and the people, for justice to Gen. Fitz John Porter of the Army of the Potomac, who, he became satisfied, after careful investigation, had been "unjustly cashiered from the army for alleged neglect of duty at the second battle of Bull Run."

He retained to the last his love for his old soldies, the privates as well as the officers, and never failed, if possible, to attend the military reunions of the various armies which he had commanded, and the National Encampments of the Grant Army of the Republic, of which he was an honored comrade.

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