St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-07-30
Ulysses S. Grant.
Sketch of the Great Generals Life.

Sketch of the Great Generals Life.
General Grant was born April %,
1922, in the little hamlet of Point
Pleasant on the banks of the Ohio, %
miles above Cincinnati. He was the
son of Jesse K. and Hannah Simpson
Grant, people in humble circumstan-
ces, with ancestry dating from the
early settlement of the country. The
boy was named Hiram Ulysses by his
parents, but when he went to West
Point at the age of II, Congressman
Hamer, who obtained his appoint
ment, joined his first name with the
middle name of younger brother,
and he was ever after known as
Ulysses Simpson Grant. AS lad, he
was sober and thoughtful, but he was
never thought uncommon, nor did he
think himself SO. AS he grew toward
manhood the tanners trade which was
his fathers occupation, grew distaste-
full to him, and his father made appli-
cation for IL cadetship at West Point.
which the boy greatly desired. Grant
was graduated in lS43, the 2lst in a
class of 30, no otl:er of whom gained
distinction. He was appointed brevet
I'd lieutenant in the 4th infantry, then
in Jefferson barracks, near st. Louis,
Mo. Col. Frederick Dent, of an old
Maryland family, and father of one of
Grants classmates, lived near on a
farm, and there the young man was a
frequent visitor, and shortly became
betrothed to his friends sister, Miss
Jnlia Dent. In the summer of 1874,
the Mexican war then impending, the
4th regiment was ordered to Natch-
tOches, La, and while in camp here it
is recorded that Grant smoked his first
cigar.
He remained i'll the army eleven
years, having participated in every
battle of the Mexican war except
Buena Vista, and received two brevets
for gallantry. After the treaty of
peace, Lieut.. Grant took advantage of
his first leave of absence to visit st.
Louis and marry Miss Dent, whose
brothers. life he had opportunity saved
i'll the old powder mill-El Moline del
Rey. He was afterward stationed at
various posts on the Canadian frontier.
in California and Oregon. In 1854,
having reached the grade of captain,
he resigned. Up to this time, Grant
was man of no special note. His
glorious subsequent career is condens-
ed by the st. Adams Messenger as Civ
en- below:
When Captain Grant left the army
he retired to IL farm in Missouri. There
he lived with his family in IA small
house, quiet and unambitious, and but
little known. In 1860 he went to
Galena, H., to enter the leather trade
with his father and brother, living in
the same obscure way. He lacked but
"a few days of &c years of age when his
call to duty came in the late war. He
raised company and proceeded to
Springfield. Col. Yates commissioned
him colonel of the 2lst Iii. regiment
AS result of the Influence of Congress-
man Washburn he was commission
ed brigadier general III August, 1861.
At 10 time did he ever apply for pro-
motion or present his claims. Once
started, victory after victory attested
his ability and his promotions came
until he became generalin-c chief of all
our armies.
The administration and congress
had come to see that the need of the
army was one head, and General Grant
was made that head. He arrived at
the capital March Sth, 1864. Up to
this time he had never met President
Lincoln. The next few weeks were
spent III preparation for the great cam
paign of the war.
Early in April he made his head
quarters with the Army of the Poto-
mac. His purpose was not to capture
Richmond but to aunihilate Lees ar
my. The armies moved promptly
May 4th. Mead's entire army with
1000 wagons was across the Rapidan
before Lee was aware of the move
ment. The first shock came i'll the
jungles of the wilderness and the bat
tie was desperate i'll the extreme. At
ter two days Lee intrenched and re-
fused to come out of his works. Cen
eral Grant moved ON by the left flank
and hard lighting followed. The Army I
OF the Potomac came to Il halt only in |
front OF the confederate works at Pc |
The spirit of the confeder-
ate army OF Northern Virginia had |
been broken. Lee never after took {
the offensive, and the next spring /
Richmond aud the confederacy fell. |
General Grant never, during the whole |
war, moved back wards, but always |
forwards. His, campaigns, with their
results had established his place among
the most famous of the great captains
Of the age. 49,. ....
He moved upon Fort DOuelsen and
,oOk it. He turned the defeat OF Shi-
oh into a glorious victory. He laid
Iiege to Vicksbarg and it fell with
,apture of 81 900 confederate prison
RS. President Lincoln wrote him "a