The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-30
III a[

m n E1uI
| Ulysses Simpson Grant was born at Point
| Pleasant, o., April q, 1S22 His ancestors
we're Scotch. HIS PerentA in 1871 rem owed
/ TO the village of GEORGETOWN, o., where his
| boyhood was passed
At the age of seventeen General Grant en-
| tered the Military Academy at West Point.
| He had been christened Hiram Ulysses, but
the Congressman who procured his appoint
ment, by mistake. wrote him down ss Ulysses
! S. Grant The authorities at West Point and
/ the Secretary of War were petitioned by the
/ young cadet 10 correct the blunder, but no
/ notice was taken of the request Ulysses 5
/ Grant had been recorded and UfSeece 5.
/ Grant he remained. The study in y hich he
/ showed the most proficiency was msthemst-
| les He graduated in 1S4S twenty-Hrst in .
| class of thirty-n nine, and was commissioned
| Brevet Second Lieutenant, and assigned to
| the Fourth Infantry.
In the summer of 1s4s the regiment WAS or
dered to Texas to join the army of General
Taylor. He was commissioned Lieutenant
September 30. His first battle was st PSlo
Alto, May s, 1886 and he subsequently took
part also in the battles of Resscs de la Palms
and Monterey, and the siege of Vera Cruz. In
April, ls47, he WAS made Qusrtermaster of
bis regiment, and after the battle OF MOiino
del Rey, Septem Der s, lS4f, he WAS appointed
on the field First Lieutenant for his gal
lGntry. He was specially mentioned in Col
onel Garland's report of the battle Of Cha
pultepec, and WAS brevetted Captain. his
com mission dating from that battle After
thN PIdTO VI lut OlJJ Vi McAlCO, Nrfdul Tt-
turned with his regiment and first
stationed at Detroit and afterwards at
Sacket's Harder.
In lS4S he married Miss Julia T. Dent
daughter of s merchant in ST. Louis and The
sister of one of his classmate. In 1857 he
accompanied his regiment TO California and
Oregon. and in lS5S wSs commissioned Cap
tain. In 1854 he resigned his commission IN
the army and removed to Gravlos. near ST.
Louis, where he opened farm. There his
daughter Nellie, now Mrs. Ssrtoris, was born.
N,V..
gagged in the leather trade with his father
and brother, Orville.
On the 18th Of April, 1851, Fort Sumter fell.
On the 18th President Lincoln made his call
for troops, and on the 18th Grant was drilling
a company of volunteers in GalenR- Four
days later he took it to Springfield. From
there he wrote to the Adjutant-G enersl OF
the army, Offering his services to the Gov
eminent In any capacity in which il cared to
make use of him. Grant remained st Spring
field ard helped 70 organize the volunteer
troops OF the State After five weeks of this
work which his military education had spe-
cially fitted him for, Governor Yates offered
him the Twenty-hrst Regiment of Illinois in
faDtry.
June and marched to Missouri. Reporting
to BriYndier General Pope, he WIS stationed
at Mexico, about fifty miles north Of the Mis-
souri, River. On August % he was commits
stoned Brigadier-G eneral of Volunteers, his
commission being dated back TO May l.. His
first military achievement WAS the seizure of
Paducah. Ny, which commanded the navl-
cation Of both the Tennessee and The Ohio
At the battle OF Belmont, November :,
Grant commanded in person and had
g horse shot unuer him. February
he captured Fort Henry. and ten
days later Fort DOneIsOn surrendered to
him. His reply to the Confederate General
Buckner, in command of Fort DOneSon, who
sent TO him asking terms Of captulStiCn,
was emincntly characteristic OF the great
soldier: No terms except unconditional
ard immediate surrender can be accepted.
propose to move Immediately upon your
works" The terms were complied with. and
the Stars and stripes soon tlutteTed over Fort
DOnelSon.
General Grant was at once promoted TO be
Major General, and appointed Commander OF
the District of West Tennessee. Immediately
after the capture of Fort DOrelson, Grant
fell under General Hallccks displcaSure, and
was removed. but in about week WAS
ord Tered to resume his command. The great
battle OF Shiloh was fought on Sunday and
Monday, the 9TH and 9Th of April 1852, and
resulted i'll r victory for the Union Soldiers.
Ii was in this engagement that the Confed-
crate General Albert Sidney Johnston was
killed. At the siege of Corinth Grant
was second in command TO General
called To Washington, Grant WAS appointed
to the command of the Army of the Tennes-
see. He captured VickSburg July 4, lSs3 and
defeated Bragg at Chattanooga in November
following. In March. 1864. President Lincoln
appointed Grant Communicated ief of the
armies in the field, with the rank Of LieuteR-
ant-NIGneFal-
Grant issued his first general order assuming
com nand of the armies of the United States.
and announced that headquarters would be
in the field, and. until further orders. with
the Army OF the Potomac" At midnight,
May 3, Grant began the movement against
Richmond, which. after q series of hard
fought battles. resulted in the capture of the
Capital, April 3. 1866. On the Sth
of the same month General Lee and his en-
tire command surrendered to Grant at APP |
pom2ttoX Courthouse, Va
In July, 1856, General Grant was commits |
stoned General of the Array, a grade espe-
cialy provided for him by act of Congress. |
August II, 1857, President Johnson suspended |
stanton from Office. and appointed !
General Grant Secretary OF War ad interim. |
This once Grant held until January IA. 1858, !
when he returned it to Mr. Stanton, whose !
removal the United States Senate had refused |
10 sanction.
At the Republican National Convention |
held in Chicago May /, 1865, General Grant |
was nominated on the first ballot for Presi- /
dent. He Was elected in the fall. with the /
late Hon. Schuyler Colfax as Vice-President.
In the Republican National Convention held l
in Philadelphia June s. 1872. Grant WAS re-
nominated by accbanation, Henry Wilson. of
" ASS schusetts, being nominated for Vice
President He received popular majority
II nearly 00oO votes over Horace Greeley,
the Democratic nominee.
Shortly after the expiration OF his term in
1871, the General and Mrs Grant made a tour
around the world, landing at San Francisco in
Septem Der of that year. He was received
-NcTy WutTC Win highest COusfOtEhttOu- |
the Governments and peoples of the Old
Torld vying with each other in doing honor
10 the American soldier and patriot.
General Grant was a worry prominent candi-
late before the Chicago National Republican
in 1850. for the nomination for
President for a third term, but did not sue
,eed in getting the nomination. Since then
ne has lived ia New York. His financial
rou bles are too recent to need mention in
his connection In the last hours of the re-
,ent Congress, a bill was passed placing the
m 10 g n ha trffL
he raak and pay of General