Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-07
THE BIOGRAPHY OF GEN GRANT
BY HIS FATHER
From tie Baltimore Gazette.


From tie Baltimore Gazette.
Mr.. Jesse Il. Grant, the father Of the
General, thoroughly appreciating the taste
and intelligence of the readers of what are
known as sensation papers, and being kind
ly desirous Of contributing 10 their amuse-
FneBt and instruction, has become a con-
tribuior 10 the columns Of the New York
Ledger. He is indulging his paternal pride,
and striving to elevate the public tone by
relating ell the extraordinary and pleasing
incidents Of the youthful life Of the boy
Ulvsses. We regret that our limited space
precludes US from laying before our readers
the thrilling narrative in full. II is Of abb
sorbing interest, as a few references 70 il
will snfiice TO show Passing over the
biographical notices Of General Grants
great-grandather, his greatgrandfathers
brother, and hls grandfather, we come to
the autobiographical sketch of bis revered
father. He recounts the stirring events Of
his is life with simple pathos that IL in
expressibly touching.
"At sixteen" he tells us, Il was regu-
larly apprenticed TO my haifbrother to
learn the tanning business" Some years
afterward he set up for himself in business
at Ravenna, Ohio, and here one Of those
startling occurrences befell him which
sometimes compel us TO admit that truth
il stranger thantfction. He says, "here
suffered severe and protrscted illneas
from fever and ague, which finally COM
PEELED me 10 relinuuish business" He sur
viyed the awful catastrophe, however, and
finally earned the reputation 'of making
the very best leather" because he tanned
with nothing but oak, and that made IL SUI
perior." How and when he married, and
how the romantic current of his life flowed
subsequently,, we have no time to tell. But
a grateful country will rejoice TO know that
The house in which his son was born "is
still standing" II is extraordinary, in
deed, how this email, frail tenement could
have stood the shock Of the birth of our
modern Cesar. But il did it,nobly, and the
American people will hold 10 lasting rever-
encethe sacred shingles which sheltered the
unweaned American Dictator. Ofthe life
of the latter, only the very earlier portion
of il has been as yet referred 10. But he
vas marked baby. Though no portents
in nature signalized his birth, all his youth
ful actions indicated that he had physical
iIfl ulOIdl tudTdlAFllhAAAH AflAt EliJR GU EiAAu
to be something superhuman. The first
time he ever drove a horse alone he was
about aegen aud half years old We had
heard he was only three DAYS over seven
and quarter, but the feat was marvellous
enough at either ape "He used to harness
horses when he had to get up in the manger
to put the bridle aud collar on, and then
tura the hali-bushel over and stand on that
| 10 throw the harness on" "ALeight and a
! half years he had become a regular driver.
"At aboui ten he used 10 drive a pair ol
horses alone" But if we are lost in wonder.
ment and admiration az We dwell upon
these evidences of his dawning genius
with what feeling must the world hear oi
the two performances which are narrated in
| detail, and which carry our thoughts in
voluntarily back 10 the days OF Alexander
and Bucephalus, and OF MazepPI and his
Tartar sleed.
Once. when he was n boy, Il show came
along in which there was mischieyons
pony, trained 10 80 round the. ring like
lightning, and he was expected % throw
any boy that attempted 10 ride him will
any boy come forward and ride this pony ?
shouted the ring-master. Ulysses stepped
| forward and mounted the pony. The per
| formance began. Round and round and
round the ring went the pony, faster anC
faster, making the greatest efforts TO dis
/ mount the rider. But Ulysses sat rs steady
| az if he had grown 20 the pony's back
| Presently out came a large monkey ant
sprang up behind Ulysses. The peopl,
| set up a great shout Of laughter, and on tn,
pony ran bat il all produced no effect OF
the rider. Then the ring-master made tn,
monkey Jump up on to Ulysses shoulders
and with his hands holding on to his hair
AT this there was another and still loude
shout, but not muscle Of Ulysses fac
moved There was not tremor of hi
nerves. A few more rounds and the ring
master gave il up; he had come scross
bow that the pony and the monkey boil
conld not dismount.'
No CHAPTER in history is full Of more ex
| citing interest than this brief account G
heroic humanity asserting its supremac
over horse and monkey. But even thi
| remarkable achievement was surpassed 4
| point Of daring by the style Of equestrian
ism which the boy habitually practiced.
ULYSSES had habit of riding on
horses TO water, standing up on their bar
backs He began this practice when abou
i've years old. At eight or nine he woul
ride them at full speed, he standing upo
one foot and balancing himself by the br
die reins. The ground over which he use
TO make these performances was little d.
scending toward the river. A near neigt
boris boy who undertook to rival him !
speed, although without standing up, vi
unfortunately thrown from his horse an
killed"
We believe the bareback act is COZ
sidered among gentlemen of the tan an
saw-dust ring, a very difficult performsnc
/ Common sense tells lis that to stand G
one foot on the bare back Of horse at IN
speed, along a common road, is thin
above the ability of most, merely humai
boys. We are justified in asserting, il
deed. that no other country boy in Ame
lea has ever INDUCED in such a godlil
mode of tQuitation. OF course a few wi
feel disposed 10 dispute the truth Of q
story, and, il challenged, We understsT
that Judge Holt, and Mr. Ashley, and NJ
Sanford Conover can furnish any ahOu
of evidence of its correctness. We a
comment no further at present on these IL
? portant and bewildering revelations co
I cerning the manifestations of genius
] which General Grants early life abounde
. 1t is clear now that nature has intend
him for the imperial purple. Room
the King Room for the son Of Je'se.
---s-zs-------az-aa-z--zzu--s--