The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-03-06
General Grants Early Life,
What His Father says OF ID.

Il
ters by J. R. Grant, in which he de-
scribes the early days of his distinguish
ed son. They are illustrated by por-
traits of the writer and his wife, and a
picture of the house in which the Gen
eral was born. We make the following
extracts
GRANT DESCENDED FROM FIGHTING STOCK.
The General comes of a good fight
ling stock. His great-grandfather,
Captain Noah Grant, native of Wind
sor, now Tolland, Connecticut, was
killed in the battle at White Plains, in
1856; his great-grandfather's brother,
Lieutenant Solomon Grant, was killed
in the same battle. Ihave in my posses
sion an originali alimuster-roll made out by
Captain Noah Grant, in 1855, the year
before his death. His own name heads
it as captain; the names, dates of SER
vice, and Equality" of the men are duly
entered in separate columns; and, as il
Illustrative of the sentiments of those
early days, one hundred and twelve
years ago, on the military aspect of
color, | may quote the following desig-
nations Of some of the privates: 'Prince,
negro" "Jupiter, negro" eeI
Captain Noah Grants son, Noah
Grant, also a native of Connecticut, was
my father; and if he did not get killed
in battle like his worthy sire, it was
not because he did not perseyeringly
take all the chances of such death,
for he fought in the Revolutionary war,
from beginning to end, over seven
years. He was Lieutenant of militia
at the battle of Lexington. This long
period of soldering spoilt him for all
financial business. My mother, who
was his second wife, was an excellent
manager; and, while she lived, the
family were always in comfortable cir
cumstances; but after her death, in
April, 1905, we had to separate, and
that impressed upon the minds of all of
US lesson which we never forgot. She
left seven children-the oldest only
twelve. Every one of them subse-
quently became wealthy My father
was born rich, and was 4 nan of educa-
ton; but he died poor. His children
were born poor, but all acquired a com
Portable competency.
]. R. GRANTS FINANCES AND POLITICS.
Industry, frugality and perseverance
made me fortunate in business, and en-
abled me to accumulate a competency
for myself and my family. In 1854, at
the age of sixty, l measurably retired
that is, 1 withdrew from the direct per-
sonal supervision of my business.
Ny sons, Simpson Grant-since de-
ceased-and Orvil L. Grant-now of
Chicago continued the business for
twelve years, in my name, and made
more than twice as much money as we
had ever made before. We always had
the reputation of making the very best
of leather-we tanned with nothing but
oak, and that made it superior.
About two years ago, 1 had made up
my mind that should enjoy more,
seeing the principal part OF my pro-
perty in the possession of my children
than I should keeping it in my own.
General Grant said he had done moth
ing towards making it, and he did not
want any of it. The Government had
provided for him so well that l ac-
quiesced in his view. Ny son 0rvil,
who is in business in Chicago, received
the larger share; and my daughters got
about twenty-five thousand dollars
apiece. l kept enough for myself.
My early opportunities for education
were extremely limited. L never went
to school but about five months in nv
life, though | took lessons in English
grammar for four weeks after l was
married. .........
have taken a pretty active interest,
generally, in political questions of the
day. though not to the neglect of my
private affairs. | wrote the Platform
which was adopted at the last Whig
State Convention that ever assembled
at Columbus, and played a part in the
first election of Salmon p. Chase as
Governor of Ohio.
l was never what was technically
known as an Abolitionist; but never
held a slave. l made up my mind,
when | was Il young man, that l would
never have slaves. This was the rea-
son that left Kentucky and went to
Ohio. l would not own slaves, and |
would not live where there were slaves
and not own them. c
| voted for General jackson for
Presiden! every time he was Il candi-
date-that is, three times.
The leading passion of Ulysses, al
most from the time he could 90 alone,
was for horses. The first time he ever
drove horse alone he was about seven
and half years old. l had gone from
home, to Ripley, twelve miles off. Il
went in the morning and did not get
back until night. 1 owned at that
time three year-old colt, which had
been ridden under the saddle to cary
the mail, but had never had collar on. |
While | was gone Ulysses got the colt
and put a collar and the harness on
him, and hitched him up 10 sled.
Then he put single line on to him
and drove of, and loaded up the sled
with brush and came back again. He
kept at it, hauling successive loads all
day, and when | came home at night
he had pile of brush as big as cabin.
AT eight and half years of age lie
had become a regular driver, and used !
to work my team all day, day after day, |
hauling wood. There would be a man |
in the woods to load, and another at
the house to unload, but Ulysses would
drive the team. AT about ten years of
age he used to drive a pair of horses
alone, from Georgetown, where we liy-
ed, forty miles, to Cincinnati, and bring
back load of passengers. lie always
broke his own horses. l never knew a
horse to baulk with him.
TIE Painsyille Telepraph doubts L