She cleared her throat, and approached me, and in a few unintelligible words of bad German, spoke. I did smile, and answered her in plain American English, remarking that I had noticed that her party were Americans. There was a sudden collapse of spirits, a queer winking and nudging of each other, and an inclination to walk away to the other end of the boat. As I was leaving the steamer, the gentleman returned to me. “Excuse me, sir,” said he, “but you astonished our little party. May I not ask where on earth you, a Swiss, learned such perfect English? It is almost American.” “Oh! in knocking about the country here,” I answered, “and I see lots of Americans on the steamer and, when they talk, especially if it is about me, I always listen to them. Goodnight.” I suppose that little quartette still think about the Swiss they met, with the queer necktie, who spoke the American English. [Illustration: Lake Geneva.--_Page 143._] CHAPTER XVII 1878 SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF MINE ABOUT GENERAL GRANT IN THE WAR-- GRANT AT CHAMPION HILLS--SHERMAN’S LETTER ON CONFISCATION BY TAXATION IN AMERICA--SILVER NO “CURE ALL”--GRANT AT RAGATZ--I GIVE A BANQUET IN HIS HONOR AT ZURICH. _January, 1878._--To-day made New Year’s calls on some American friends; but it is not customary among the Swiss. Received copies of my “Recollections of Grant and Sherman,” printed in the Philadelphia _Times_. It so happened that I had seen General Grant often in the Vicksburg campaign, and he personally directed a charge made by our brigade at the battle of Champion Hills. The battle had been going on for some time, when he rode up close behind the line of my regiment. He dismounted from his bay horse and stood within a few yards of where I was in the line, leaning on my gun. He was under a heavy fire of musketry, and we boys all feared for his life. There was some suspense, before the order to “charge” was given. My company stood there in line on the green grass, just as it did on the village green in Newton, the morning we started for the war. Grant leaned against his horse and smoked, and looked simply as a man would, who had a little piece of tough business before him to consider. Aides rode up to him and rode away. He spoke to them in a low voice, that even I, who was so close to him, could not hear. The awful musketry rattle of terrific combat was a little to the left and right of us, and there was no great noise immediately in our front; but well we all knew that ten thousand rebels were over there in the timber, waiting our advance. There was no cannonading of our line, as we stood there unresistingly, feeling the shots from their rifles, and firing not a shot in return. Grant was not quite ready. I saw him glance, I thought half pityingly, at a few of our wounded who were carried back past him, and he looked very close at one man near me who was shot in the leg and who limped past him to the rear. I think he recognized his face, but he did not speak to