October 19th, 1915.
Received by:James Padgett.
Washington D.C.
I am General Grant.
I was the President of your country and also the General of the Federal armies.
Well, I want to say that I am in a condition of comparative happiness, but not entirely relieved from my darkness or sufferings. I had a great many sins to answer for and many penalties to pay, and during the years since my death I have suffered much and experienced great darkness. But thanks be to God, I am emerging from these conditions and am having my spiritual eyes opened to the truths of God and the necessity of obtaining His Love and Favor.
As you may know, when on earth I attended the Methodist Church, but my religious knowledge was merely that which comes from an assent of the mind to certain propositions, or rather doctrines, of the church. I knew nothing of the soul development or of the Divine Love, or of any of those attributes of the Father which were necessary to my becoming a redeemed spirit and an accepted child of God.
I am in the Second Sphere, where are many of my old comrades in arms, and many who were antagonistic in the great War of the Rebellion. But we are no longer enemies, for we have obtained sufficient Love to become friends, and to know that war and hatred and murder are not in accord with God's laws, or approved by Him; and we are now seeking only Love, and trying to apply the Golden Rule in our lives here.
Well, I am somewhat surprised that I can communicate with you in this way, for while I have attended some séances and made my presence known in other ways and by other manifestations, I never before had the opportunity to do so by this method of writing; and I must say, it is the most satisfactory of my experiences.
As this is my first appearance, and coming without an invitation, though some of your band which is here signified their assent, I do not feel that I should longer intrude.
Well, I have been interested in this great and bloody war, and have visited the scenes of many battles and the headquarters of the officers of both sides, and have heard their plans discussed, and have learned what their expectations were. It is rather early in the game to form an opinion as to the outcome, but judging from the facts, as I have been able to gather them, and from the conditions of the armies and means of carrying on the war, of both sides, I am rather inclined to think the Allies will win. This I say in a perfectly unbiased way, as I have no bias or prejudice for either side. But this I do know: that no human being can at all estimate the great injury that will be done to the various countries or to the progress of the human race in the things material.
But God rules, and the right will prevail, as I believe.
Sometime later, if agreeable, I will write you further on this matter.
I will now say good night.
Your friend,
U. S. Grant