Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-07-30

Holding the position Of Commander in
Chief of all the armies of the United States,
and having the immediate command of the
Army of the Potomac at the close of the
late war, naturally Gen. Grant has been re-
garded by majority of the people OF the
North as the hero of that struggle. Num-
bers of his enthusiastic countrymen, forget
ting his splendid opportunities, with un-
limited resources in men and material, sup
piled from all parts of the civilized globe,
and ignoring the fact thatit was decimated
and famished command, overwhelmed by
numbers, that finally yielded after the
most heroic struggle recorded in history,
seem even after the lapse of nineteen years
of peace, to regard him as the greatest war
rior known to history. On this point opin-
ions differ widely. There are men who
fought in the Union army, who, unmoved
by prejudice, have ever regarded Gen.
Grant as only Il creature of circumstances,
and reckoning him at his true worth, have
failed to join in the adulation so freely be-
slowed upon one who previous to the war
and since its close failed to impress the dis
passionate citizen that he was anything
more than an ordinary man. This, how
ever, is not the place or time to discuss his
ability as a soldier and statesman, in
which latter position his utter failure is
but too fresh in the minds Of the people.
In due time impartial history will relegate
him to his true position as an actor in the
great drama of the war between the
States.
He was born at Point Pleasant, Clermont
county, Ohio, on the 9th of April 1922, and
chrstened Hiram Ulysses, but on entering
West Point, at the age Of seventeen, the
Congressman who procured his appoint
ment, by mistake wrote him down as
Ulysses S. Grant, and by this name he has
ever since been known. He graduated in
1913, twenty-frst in class of 43, his COM
mission of brevet second-lieutenant and his
diploma both styling him Ulysses $. Grant:
He was assigned to the Fourth Regiment
and remained in the army eleven years,
serving through the war with Mexico. 1t
is claimed that he was in every battle OF
that war except the battle of Buena Vista.
He received two brevets for gallantry, and
was later stationed at several posts on the
Canada frontier, and finally in California
and Oregon. In 1913 he married Julia f.
Dent, daughter of a merchant OF st. Louis
In 1854, being then u captain, he resigned
his commission in the army and removed
to Gravois, near st. Louis, where he opera
ted farm. While residing there, Grant
made an effort to obtain the position OF
county surveyor and was deeply disappolnt-
eu IG uOG SuCCeculuS' 1lC iCihc'SA A'AS
family to st. Louis after an experience as
an agriculturist which could scarcely be
called brilliant, After failing in different
occupations, in 1860 he went into the leather
trade with his father and brother at Gale
ma, Illinois. He owned four slaves in Mis-
souri,, and on removing to non-SlaVe-
holding State he presented them to a friend.
1t has always been claimed that II not
pro-slavery man, Grant at least was not an
Abolitionist. And he has said that he en-
tered the war only with the desire to pre-
serve the Union, and not from any preju-
dice against slavery.
At the breaking out Of the war he was an
obscure citizen, wholly unknown, without
influence, and apparently without ambi-
ton. He was unacquainted with men OF
position and power, and had no personal
knowledge of great affairs. Even in his
own field, the military, his knowledge was
limited He had never commanded more
than a company of soldiers He had served
under Scott and Taylor, but only as subal-
tern, and had not been brought into inter-
course with them. He had cast but one
vote for President, and knew no politicians.
Army officers and western traders compris-
ed his whole acquaintance. Even the Con-
gresham Of his own district, who had been
nine successive years in Congress, was un-
known to him, though he afterwards be-
came one of Grants warmest friends.
At this time Grant was 80 years old, the
father of four children, the eldest of whom