The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-03-12
From the New York Ledger, 80 gFsa 90
THE EARLY LIFE or GENERAL.
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saaIaf By HIS FATHER. 80 ,fg 80
The General comes ola good fighting stock.
n ms sf wasso, .s: G1s
killed in hesbattleat Whits Plsina info
his great>grahdsather's brother, Lieut.. Solo>
mon Grant was killed in the same battle. l
have in my possession an original mnster>roll
made out by Capt. Noah Grant, in i75o-the
year befc1e hb Death His own sAne hsads e
rs captain; the names, datc Of SERVICE and
qualify" Of the men arc duly entered in asspe>
rate columns and, IS iliustrative Of the senti-
ments Of those early days. one hundred and
twelve years ago, on the military aspect OF eol>
or, may quote the following designations Of
some Of the privates Prince. negro" "Jup>
tier, negro" - - s 80 - y.
Capt. Noah Grants son, Noah Grant. also .
native Of Connecticut, ives my father: and it
he did not get killed in battle like his worthy
SIRE it was not because he did not perseyering-
" take all the chances of such . death, for he
fought in tho Revolutionary War, from begin
ningto end-over seven years. He was licu>
tenant 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 circumstances /; but after her death
in April, 1905, we had to separate, and that
impressed upon the minds Of all ofus o lesson
which We never forgot. She left seven chill
dren-the oldest only twelve. Every one of
them subsequently, became wealthy. My father
was born rich, and was man Of education but
he died poor. His children were born poor. but
all acquired comfortable competency.
was born in Westmoreland county, Penn
sylvania, Jan. %, 1894. When was five
years Of age. I was taken by my father, who
emigrated with his family. to that part of the
Northwestern Territory which is now Colum>
biana county. Ohio. When / was ten years Of
age, we moved 10 Portage county, in the Vest
ern Reserve. At sixteen. I was regularly APP
prenticed to my half brother. to learn the tan
ming business. q Maysville, kentucky. 4 eaith~
fully served out my apprenticeship and, soon
after became Of age, set up business for my
self at Ravenna, Portage county, Ohio. al.8 ~
Here suffered . severe and protracted Ill
ness from fever and ague, which finally COM
PEELED me to relinquish business. The saw
ings of four years were consumed by the ex-
penses Of this sickness. In 1920 / settled tenn
porarily ~ . email place called Point Pleasant,
situated directly on the Ohio river. twenty-five
miles above Cincinnati /; and, in june, 1920 I
was married to Miss Hannah Simpson, u nd
commenced housekeeping 1t that place.
Here, on the 9th day Of April, 1922. our
first child, Ulysses 8. Grant, was born. The
house in which this event occurred ID still
standing. s4. .,slE sassssse sss;sl ~, b
Five other chdren-three daughters and
two sons-were subsequently added to our
family. One son and one daughter, both grown
and both single, died Of consumption during
the late war. eFae s ~ G.
Industry, hugslity and perseverance made
me fortunate in business and enabled me to ac-,
cumulate competency for myself and my fam
lily. In 1854, at the age of sixty, measurably
retired that is, withdrew from the direct
personal supervision Of my business.
Ny sons, aimpson Grant-sinee deceased
and OWL L. .Grant-now.of Chicago-contin>.
ued 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.
I'VE tanned with nothing but oak. and that
made it superior. Is aiasss Il s9sa.fe Al III
About two years ago, had made up my
mind that 1 should enjoy more seeing the prin>
cipal part of my property in the possession of
my children than should keeping it in my
own. Gen. Grant said he had done nothing
toward making il, and he did not want any of
it. The Government had provided for him SO
veil that acquiesced in his view. My son
Orvil, who is in business in Chicago, received
the larger share and my daughters got about
twenty-five thousand dollars apiece. / kept ..
nough for myself.
Ny early opportunities for education were
extremely limited |; never went to school but
lessons in English grammar for four weeks af-
ter was married. 49, Is -
Il have taken pretty active interest, gener-
ally, in the public questions of the day though
not to the neglect of my private affairs. 1
wrote the platform which was adopted at the
last Wing State Convention that ever assem-
bled at Columbus, and played . part in the first
election Of Salmon p. Chase IS Governor Of
Ohio. 49, fr,ss.--. -..
1 never was what is technically known as an
Abolitionist but never held slave. made
up my mind when was young man, that
would never have slaves. This was the reason
that left Kentucky, and went to Ohio. I
would not own slaves, and would not live
where there are slaves and not own them.
% Ivoted for Gen. Jackson for President every
time he was q candidate-that is three times.
Mrs. Grant was the second daughter OF Mr..
John Simpson. Of Montgomery County, Pcnn-
gsylyania. She was born and brought up in
that county, about twenty miles from Philadel-
pha. When in her nineteenth year she res
moved with her father to Clermont County,
Ohio. The family were very highly respected
people of veracity and integrity but not of
any particular ambition beyond that of living
independent farmers. s1 5aG
Mrs. Grants father was worth some proper
ty but it wss al in land, and he kept it until
~ It was nearly three years after their removal
to Clermont that we were married. A few Of
the neighbors expressed their surprise that one
of Mr.. Simpsons daughters should marry .
young man hardly yet established in business.
But this did me no harm I; and o. soon as it
was seen how was getting along, heard
nothing more of It. 1 suppose there could
hardly be marriage at which somebody would
not be surprised. / was not worth dollar
when married but l did not stay that way
long and a soon ~ mas known 20 be pros
porous the neighbors seemed to think the
match was exactly the thing-just what had
thought from the beginning. $50 s.s
AT the time Of our marriage, Mrs. Grant was
an understanding country girl, handsome. but
not vain. She had previously Joined the Meth.
odist church; and can truthfuIly say it has
never had moro devoted and consistent mem
Der. Her steadiness, firmness, and strength Of
character, has boon the stay of the family