The Autograph Book of Milo Walbridge Grow

"May all your days be of Peace And all your eggs be fried in Grease."

Two buildings still standing that Milo would have known when he was at Dartmouth: Wentworth Hall

Thornton Hall

Milo Grow, and later his son Roy W. Grow, apparently used this little book to collect signatures and sayings from their friends and visitors. Most of the signatures date from Dartmouth College, 1851, interspersed with others from Colquitt, Georgia, 1883, 1887. The book passed from Milo Walbridge Grow to his son, Roy Walbridge Grow, to his grandson, Will Smiley Grow of Colquitt, Ga. Inscription: For Roy W. Grow on his 1st birthday. From his affectionate father. M.W. Grow. June 1st, 1863. At the time, as far as we know, Milo was at the Battle of Fredericksburg. He was in effect willing this book to the baby boy he had just seen during a brief leave to Georgia. A month later, Milo was wounded and taken prisoner at Gettysburg, and died in the Union prison at Point Lookout, Maryland, Jan. 24, 1864.

Keep pure my son, in all thy ways. M.W.G. M.W. Grow. Dartmouth College. 1849 N. Lord. Dartmouth College, July 29, 1851 [This is Nathan Lord, president of Dartmouth College 1828-1863.] Ira Young, Dartmouth College, Aug. 1851   H.L.L.Bodiford. (Colquitt, Ga.) "A good name is rather to be chosen than many riches. The Bible." April 17th 1883. [Probably a relative of the Bodiford who married Milo's widow, Kate Baughn Grow, later "Mother Bodiford."]   Sam'l G. Brown. D.C. July 1851 E.D. Sanborn. A long Latin inscription. David J. Noyes. Dartmouth College, July 29, 1851. Virtuous and honourable conduct is worth far more than it costs.   Friend Roy-- The large are not the sweetest flowers, The long are not the loveliest hours, Much talk does ot true friendship tell, Few words are best--I love thee well. Your everlasting friend G. O. Loving Colquitt, Ga. 8/20/87   To a friend 'Tis not the fairest form tht holds The mildest, purest soul within; 'Tis not the richest plant that folds The sweetest breath of fragrence in. Your true friend, J. M. Cowart Colquitt, Ga. August 22, 1887.   Mr. R.W. Grow May no presuming person Write aught but faultless Upon a page of this fair book Sacred to Innocence and Truth Your friend Emma Cowart Colquitt, Ga August 22nd/ 87   May all your days be of Peace And all your eggs be fried in Grease. Your friend M.D.Roberts Colquitt, Ga Oct. 31, 87 [Some of the residents of Colquitt did not cotton to the sophistication of Dartmouth graduates! This inscription was written on the day Milo's son turned 25.]   Edward Aiken Born April 10 1839, Rutland, Vt. They who know the most Must mourn the deepest o'er the fatal truth; The tree of knowledge is not that of life. Byron   Josiah Bartlett, Jr. Born Jan 1, 1830, Waltham, N.H. "The present time is big with the future."   George Sullivan Burton. Born 1831. Concord N.H. "Vule, vule, longam formosa."   Don Carlos Baxter. Barton, Vt.   Geo. Bell Chester, N.H. Born June 1829 "For forms of faith, let furious zealots fight His can't be wrong whose life is in the right.   E. R. Chamberlain Shady Dale [Ga.] Natus Oct. 18, 1831, Georgia "Manners make the man."   Saml H. Folsom Born Feb. 23, 1826 Hopkinton, N.H. "Perseverace keeps honor bright."   Chandler Freeman Born Jan. 18, 1824. Hebron, Maine. Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense Lie in three words, health, peace, and competence.   David B. French Born Jan. 24th 1830, Bedford N.H. "Be sure you're right, and then go ahead." When any great designs thou dost intent Think on the means, the manner, and the end."   Wm. Cutting Grant Natus Oct 1826 Chelsea, Vt.   Joshua G. Hall, Jr. Natus Nov. 5th 1828 Wakefield, N. H. "Honor seldom but winds a scar As oft it loses all."   John M. Hayes Sanbornton, N.H. Born Jan. 10. 1830   Chas. Hitchcock Natus April 1827. Hanover, N.H. "Nil reputans actuum, si quid Imperirret agendum"   Yours truly, Homer O Hitchcock [Born] Westminister, Vt. Jan 28, 1827   "Earn if you want; if you abound, import." J. D. Hobart Born Dec. 29, 1826 Berlin, N.H.   "Virtue is the best epitaph." Gilbert E. Hood Born Nov 21. 1824, Chelsea, Vt.   "Be prudent, firm, and bold" E. G. Cooke   A. G. Hopkinson Nat. 1824. "Let me take the instant by the forward top." Linnington, Me.   M. Lamprey Dartmouth Coll. 1853. Natus Dec 9. 1827 "Pitch thy behavior low; thy projects high; So shalt thou humble & magnanimous be." Bethune N. Lorde Jr. [This is N. Lord Jr., son of Nathan Lord above, who was Lieutenant Colonel, 5th Vermont and Colonel, 6th Vermont Infantry from September 1861 to December 1862.] Born July 1831. Dartmouth Coll. "Tis greatly wise to talk with our past hours And ask them what affront they bear to Heaven."   John J. Pierce Born Feb 2. 1828. Strafford, Vt. "Life is a poor player." Byron E. J. Quimby Natus July 17. 1826 Hopkinton, N.H. "Judge not of Kings by their (?) events."   B. L. Ray "Know that this dark earth is not thy home." 1824 [born]   John Richards Born Aug. 16. 1830 "The greatest truths are the simplest; so are the greatest men."   James Rogers Oct. 1828 Bradford, Vermont July 1851 "Nil Desperandum"   Edward Ashton Rollins Born Wakefield. Dec 8th 1828. Great Falls "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding."   Jonathan Ross Natus Apr. 30th. 1826. Waterford, NH "Death cannot come To him untimely who is fit to die The briefer life, the earlier immortality."   Henry E. Sawyer Manchester, N.H. Born Warner N.H. July 14, 1826 "The life of man is summed in birthdays and in sepulchers; But the Eternal God hath no beginning, He hath no end." H. H. White   Luther E. Shepard Natus Dec. 28. 1820. Raymond, N.H. "Tis vain to seek in men for more than man."   J.A. Shores Born Acton Me. Nov 23. 1827 "Life is a vision shadowy of truth; And pain an anguish and the wormy grave Shapes of a dream"   "There is a feeling within us tht loves to revert To the merry old times that are gone." D. L. Shorey. Lynn, Mass Natus 1824   Isaac Coffin Born Oct. 28th. 1829. Haverhill, Mass. 1851 "To thine own self be true."   S. D. Storrs Lapur, N.Y. Dart. Coll. July 1831   Joseph H. Tyler Natus Feb 11th 1825 Pelham N.H. "Blest are those Whose blood and judgment are so well commingled, That they are not a pipe for Fortune's finger To sound what stop she please." [Hamlet]   C. W. Willard Natus June, 1827. Lyndon Centre, Vt.   Henry Willard Natus Sept. 11, 1830. Troy N.Y. "'Tis not in mortals to commend success; But we'll do more, Semfronius, we'll deserve it."   R. W. Grow Colquitt Ga. Age 72. Aug. 20, 1932. Born Colquitt Ga. Oct. 22, [18]62 [Roy Walbridge Grow. Oct. 31, 1861 - Nov. 27, 1938. Son of Milo Walbridge Grow. Husband to Lou Bush Grow.]   Charles Bell Chester, N.H. Born 1833   John H. Buttrick Lowell Dart. College. 1837 [On a page by itself, in pencil:] "Bird of Paradise feathers"   The book concludes with two pages of signatures from all the members of the family present at a reunion, Thanksgiving, 1989.

Milo Grow's Letters from the Civil War, homepage