The Wasp — 1891 — page 52: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This illustration depicts General Ulysses S. Grant seated with several military officers, apparently at The Dalles in Oregon during or after the Mexican-American War. The satire mocks Grant's account of a story involving a Mexican officer with a gunshot wound, a tomahawk, and a Mexican sword. The text suggests the piece ridicules Grant's anecdote as implausible—particularly the detail about a wounded officer's miraculous recovery and the exotic nature of the weaponry involved. The title's phrase "Honest Injun" (an outdated expression meaning "truthfully") implies skepticism about Grant's credibility. The piece appears to be satirizing either Grant's storytelling abilities or the veracity of his military reminiscences.