New-York tribune., 1885-07-24
GENERAL GRANTS CAREER.
TIE LIFE or 4 GREAT SOLDIER.

FROM AN ILLINOIS TANNERY TO COM
MANDEK-IN-CHIEF AND PRESIDENT.
"Who is that chap in there who Ia always hang
ing around Grants tanneryT
"The short fellow with cigar in his mouth, do
you meanp
"Yes; he is always smoking, and walks up and
down without speaking to anybody"
30, that's Grants brother"
This was conversation that took place in Galena,
Ill., few months before tho opening Of the civil
war; The man who was then known as Grants
brother" and who was an obscure citizen even In
Galena, was soon to be the most famous living
general in the world, with perhaps one exception.
and nine years later was inauguratod President OF
the United States. No sketch within the limits
of ne wspaper con give more than an outline OF
the extraordinary career of this man, which has no
parallel in the history Of country, nor, perhaps
IN any country.
A remarkable fact in his life is that until
he was nearly forty years of age he gave no sign
Of distinguished ability, and, in fact had failed to
win even the most moderate success Ill tho
ordinary business Of life. He did display good
sense strength of will and other characteristics
that afterward contributed to his splendid success
as military commander; but in early life they
seemed to bring him nothing. He was born at Point
Pleasant Ohio on April 27, 1922 thorough Amer
lean by descent. Jesse Grant, his father, tells In
Mr.. Whitelaw Reids "Ohio in the War" story
showing, curously, the germ OF the soldier even IN
the baby. When he was only two years old his
father was carrying him through the village one
day when friend proposed to see hew he would
take the noise of pistol The father agreed, say
ing the little fellow had never heard one. 80 they
pressed the baby finger the trigger and pulled
II. He did not finch, and cried: Flick 1t again!
Fick 1t againl" bystander said: "Tbat boy
will noke a Ceperal for he neither winked nor
lodged"
The following account OF the Generafs ancestry
is taken from his autobiography:
Ny family American and has been for generations
IN all its branches direct and collateral
Mathew Grant the founder OF tho branch In America
Of which am descendan I. reached Dorchester. Mass
in May. $780, In 1885 he moved to what Is now winu
sor Conn., and was the & OF nr yss of the
time town clerk. He married man when ne ar ar
eonnry His eldest SON. Samuel took lands on the east
side OF Connecticut River. opposite WINDSOR wnc e Nv,
been held and occupied by descendants Oh HIS u '''
am of the eighth generation from Mathew Grant; ana
few years after their settlement In Windsor ana he soon
after married the widow Rockwell VINO, Win & n.r aua his
first wife, the ship Mary and John from DorGnese,,
ENGLAND in 1880 Mrs b aa her second By in
termarrage, two or three generations later, l am oe
scended from both the wives OF Mathew Grant. .,
In the fifth descending generation my grcatgrana
father Noah Grant and his younger orGheI n ,he
war against the French and Indians Both were 1neu
Nv grandfather also named Noah, then but nine
years old breaking out OF the War OF the Kevo
went with Connecticut company to JOIN the Cohtr
mental Army and present at the battle OF Bunker
H 1s enre s %h 19e Var @ OF c
been urough part OF the time-as believe mos. u
nectic%t during the war; had two children and
widower ct the close.