Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-06-07
TIE CANDIDATES.
Ulysses 8. Grant.

The candidate of the republican party for
President has an ancestry which commends
him TO New England He il descended
through, line of Puritan patriots far back to
England. The first one of the Grant family
came from Plymouth in Devonshire in 1880,
aud settled at Dorchester, Mass. From him
is descended Ulysses s. Grant, whose father,
Conn. In 1899 the father moved into what
was then known as the Western Territory,
and finally settled down at Clermont, Ohio,
on the banks of the Miami, where Ulysses
was born the 9th Of April 1922. The house
in which he was born was small one-story
cottage. His father was tanner and the
son learned the same trade as soon as he was
old enough. At the age of sixteen he entered
the Military Academy at West Point, and
| graduated in 1913, receiving brevet commits
sion second lieutenant in the Fourth Uni
ted States Infantry. In 1915, when General
Taylor was ordered into Texas, Grant and
the regiment to which he was attached formed
part Of the force, and continued in active ser
all the important battles except that of Buena
Vista, was appointed first lieutenant on the
field of battle at Moline Del Rey for gallant
ry, and breveted captain for meritorious con
duct at the battle of Chapultepec. In l84S
he married. In 1853 he received his full
commission az Captain, but in 1884 resigned
it and established himself in civil life near St
Louis, farming, cutting wood and acting as
/ Illinois, and went into the leather trade with
his father. There he was situated, doing Il
prosperous business, when the news of the
attack on Fort Sumpter reached him. Read
ing the despatch which brought the intelii-
gence he quietly said, 1.-The government edu.
Gated me for the army, and although l have
served through one war, | am still little il
debt to the government, and willing to dis
charge the obligation. Raising a company
of volunteers he appeared before Governo,
\ ates of Illinois and rendered his services
The Governor Immediately placed him or
his staff as mastering officer of volunteers
In June 1861 he entered actual service witt
the rank OF colonel of volunteers, and wa.
so energetic and efficient that he was soor
promoted to be brigadier general. nis frs
service under his brigadeer's commits sion wal
to march to Ironton, Missouri, to prevent ar
attack from the rebel jeff Thompson. Soor
after lie was placed in command at Cairo, ant
did some good service in Northern Missouri
at Belmont and Paducah. But the opening
Of his brilliant military career was the cap.
ture of Fort Donnelson in Feb. 1862. This
and sent joy and hope over the whole country
Grant was then made major general of volun.
teers and placed in command of the Middle
District of West Tennessee. In April the
May of 1868 he struck the rebels at Port Glib.
son, and fought the series of battles which,
brought him before the entertainments OF
Vicksburg, the surrender of which he re-
ceived on the 4th of July. His next victory
was at Chattanooga Nov. 90. On March lOth
1864 Grant was appointed lieutenant general
and placed in command of all the arm es OF
the United States. In May 1864 the final
campaign of the rebellion began. The battle
of the Wilderness opened the bloodiest fights
of the war. Spottsylvania and Cold llarbor
followed and in July Petersburg was be-
leaguered by the Union army. 1t was not
however until April 1865 that the finishing
stroke was given the rebellion. On the l2th
Lee and his army surrendered to Grant and
the war WAS over. The people felt then that
Grant was ordained by divine wisdom for the
purpose which he carried out. In lSGS lie
was elected President Of the United States,
and yesterday he was nominated for a second
term, to which he will be elected in Novem-
Der next.
Henry Wilson.
The Hon. Henry Wilson of Massachusetts,,
nominated as the republican candidate for
Vice President, was born Of very poor parents
in Pennington, \. H., Feb. -, 1915. At the
age Of ten he was bound to farmer until he
was twenty one. There he served his time
out in the usual employment of farm hand,
getting few weeks schooling at the district
school in the winter season, and finding time
IN the winter evenings to read all the books
that came within his reach. At twenty one
he took his pack on his back and went to
Natlck Mass, to learn the shoemaker's trade
He worked at the trade two years aud saved
some money with which he determined to ut.
fan a N INIT