Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-07-31

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Fisk, in tho Cleveland Plain Dealer, says:
Stew men in the worlds history have had
such q chcckcred life-a succession of trans.
formation scenes rs startling and mag cal as
se m%Io 0I stage aaS GaH, lis oBsoupo brth@sIty W
three years ngo on tho 2Ith OF April,
in Clernont County, o.. and his boyhood,
country youth who grow up amidst scenes of
rustic simplicity, gave no promise OF tho
great renown he was destined to achieve. II
ts not now, but many persons have forgotten
tho circumstances of his change of namo.
He was christcned "iiiram Ulysses, and
during the heated partisan rivalry Iva ;, that hat
namc Hiram was often applied to him in
rcproachful sense, as If there had been some
of name 10 that by which he has been
known during all his years of man.
hood, The fact is that it was purely acci.
gresham who nominated him, when boy,
for the military academy at Wost Point. His
name was sent in ms ulysses s." and instead
cepted the name thus officially given him.
and chose simpson for his middle name,
TO be represented by the 49," In view OF his
of armies, there was singular appropriate
ness in the name Ulysses.
Grants service in Mexico was in the mod
est position of lieutenant. He did his duty
fer from hundreds of other officers. He
earned the commendation of his superiors
although he gave no marked evidence of the
placed him at the head of an army compared
TO which the entire United States force in
Mexico was but "corporars guard" He
prnV tnI ma H..
first lieutenant. Army life in time of peace
was not congenial to him, and seven years
after the close of the Mexican war, having
reached the rank of Captain, he resigned his
commission and went to farming near St
Louis. Everybody knows how he failed to
make farming pay; how he lived for FIVE or
wood and farm products in the streets Of st.
Louis To a few acquaintanccs he was
pleasantly known as Captain Grant"-a
clever easy-going man who had fallen to
the dead level of mediocrity, with
every probability that he would remain
1nere: Those who had known him in his
ana proud of the measure of success he had
attained, now regarded him as an object of
sympathy in the humble calling which he
had chosen, During these years of dlscour-
agement and lack of promise for the future
children were born to him. Spurred by duty
he sought to better his condition by engag.
ing in the tanning business with his father
and brother. But before he had had time to
eOb iuily stuTttu III tnlb Une Rrhnu reNell o
was sounded that allied the whole nation to
arms; In an instant the whole current of
his life was changed. What it has been dur
ing those twenty-four years need not here be
told. 1t is known to every schoolboy in the
lnnd. To those who knew him along in the
Mites his career has been regarded with a
In the history of this country has SO illus
trated the wonderful possibilities of Ameri-
can citizenship.
1t is Grant the soldier that will have the
dearest and most endearing place in the
hearts OF this people and the position of the
highest honor in history. It is not for us to
who, with the almost unlimited resources of
the government at their disposal upon the
slightest word, would hnvo succeeded as
well. Among all those who were tried none
other was found who, in the end, never failed
to achieve the object sought. The world
judges by actual results and cheerfully &C.
cords to General Grant his fame as the great
est American soldier. Some of our own peo-
pie go further and declare him to have been
tne hns mos most eminent genius IN war tho world
and realize that he was equal to our emer-
gency and delivered this nation in its supreme
It may be said that none will deny him the
place that has been given him among the
few great military leaders in history.
When the cautious Buell. met Grant at
Shiloh, Mt the close of the first disastrous
day, almost the first question he asked was
whether ne had provided for retreat, in case
difhcult to imagine Buelrs surprise when
Grant replied that he had not even thought
of that. He had come to stay, and the con-
calculations. 1t has always seemed to me
that this .was the one feature of Grants
cnaracter that gave him success. 1t was the
same spirit that dictated those historic
words at Donelson: ~ propose to move i'm
mediately upon your works." and again. in
iSot, the dispatch to President Lincoln that
out ON this line il it takes tsii ali SUMMER p
Grant never permitted q temporary re-
w,tssro verse t,,, to become absolute defeat by
Ing tho qampasn. s army ThoSsh ans a0sasHni bafisd
for the time, he did not for moment yield
MS purpose: The ever changing uncertain.
against an able and powerful adversary,
forced him often to change the details of the
there was not thought OF faltering or hest.
tation. Patiently and persistently, often at
sd;,9 fearful cost Of life he pursued his object
Grant has been called ''butcher." II is
probably true that during the year of active
operations under his supreme command
in battle than during all of the previous three
years of the war. It'll no doubt also true that
had Grant conducted a cautious, hesitating
of tie war erantinr ~ eventa tcCess ais
ease, which. kills twice as many men as
bullets, day by day and month BY month,
were opened to receive the slain at the
wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and
Petersbnrg believe that If more men had
would not have lasted as long as 1t did.
Thousands upon thousands less would have
Joined the ghostly and endless professions
that moved continuously from q hundred
hospitals to those populous cities of the
dead; II is the best Reneralship that puts a
speedy end to war, however great may
shocked by the tidings of great battle, with
It's thousands of killed and mutilated men
and II fperchance after.knowledge shows that
sacrifice OF life, plenty OF self-constituted
critics are not wanting to denounce the
"slapghter." But the people do not note OF
realize the constant ravages of disease in all
its forms, taking the lives and destroying the
health of multitudes. War, at best, Is cruel
and s parbarous Movements are often made
condemned as "mistakes." 1t is easy after
ward to sav Just how 1t should have been
Balls Bluff, Bnrnside's attack az Fredericks
burg, Sherman's assault upon Kenesaw. and
Srants bloody engagement at Cold Harbor
YET no one Will say that all these movements
were not made with the purest and most pat
riotic motives, and based upon the best In
formation at command. General Grants gen
proverbial. He is the last man who would
regard with indifference the slaughter OF hii
Draye soldiers, even when necessary and un
criticisms upon his course as public mar
ever touched him SO keenly as those which
charged him with brutal and causeless sacri
From "Carp's" special correspondence II
the Cleveland Leader we CLEAN the following
THE DARKEST DAY OF GRANTS LIFE.
The following statement OF how Mrs. Gran
gother husband out of Washington on tn,
night OF Lncolns assassination showed I,
General Grant at the Arlington Hotel durinI
correct:
~The darkest day OF my life." said Genera
Of Macolns assasslnation: / did not know
what u meant: Here was the rebellion pu
down In the hsld, aud starting up again II
the cutters; we had fought if as war. nov
we had 70 light II as assassination. Lincoln
was killed on the evening OF the llth or April
was busy sending out orders 70 stop re
crulting, the purchase OF supplies. and q
muster out the army. Lincoln had promised
togo 70 the theater. and wanted me TO *
with him. While ! was with the President
note came from Mrs. Grant saying that sfl
must leave Washington that night Shs
wanted 70 go 70 burlington 70 see her chill
dren. Some incident OF triiing nature had
made her resolve 70 leave that evening.
was glad TO have II 80. as did not want 70 gs
an. Aa n II.