Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-04-11
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FISK. III tne NleNeluIu ftutH Deutf. say
Few men in the worlds history have had
such checkered life-a succession OF trans
formation scenes as startling and m3xica! as
those of the modern pantomine upon the
mimic stage. His obscure birth-siXty-three
years ago on the 9th of the present month
in Clermont County. o.. and his boyhood
which was in no respect unlike that OF other
country youth who grew p amidst scenes o1
rustic simplicity. gave no promise OF the
great renown he was destined to achieve. II
is not new, but many persons have forgotten
the circumstances of his change of name
He was christened "Hiram Ulysses, and
during the heated partisan rivalry that
marked the political period of his life the
name Hiram was often applied to him in
reproachful sense as if there had been some
disgraceful thing connected with the change
of name to that by which he has beer
known during all his years OF man
hood. The fact is that 1t was purely acci
dental. A mistake was made by the Con
gressman who nominated him. when a boy
for the military academy at West Point. His
name was sent in as Ulysses 5, and instead
of correcting the error. young Grant ac
cepted the name thus officially given him,
and chose .'Simpson" for his middle name
to be represented by the IS. In view of his
late career As a soldier and successful leader
of armies. there was singular appropriate
ness in the name Ulysses.
Grants service in Mexico was in the mod
est position of a lieutenant He did his duty
faithfully and we'll but in this he did not diff
fer froIa hundreds of other officers. lie
earned the commendation of his supes!ors
although he gave no marked evidence of the
latent genius that eighteen years later
placed him at the head of an army compared
to which the entire United States force In
Mexico was but ''corporars guard. He
was promoted one grade from second &c
first lieutenant. Army life in time of peace
was not congenial TO him, and seven year.
after the close of the Mexican war, having
reached the rank of Captain. he resigned his
commission and went to farming near 81
Louis. Everybody knows how he failed to
make farming pay: how he lived for five OF
six years in perfect ohscurty, peddling
wood and farm products in the streets of 81
Louis. To few acquaintances he was
pleasantly known as Captain Grant-a
clever, easy-going man who had fallen 10
every probability that he would remair
there. Those who had known him in his
younger days. fired with soldiers ambition
and proud of the measure of success he had
attained. now regarded him an object OF
sympathy in the humble calling which he
hsd chosen. During these years of discour.
agement and lack of promise for the future.
children were born to him. Spurred by duty
TO his family he removed to Galena, where
he sought to better his condition by engag
ing in the tanning business with his father
and brother But before he had had time tc
get fairly started in this the grand reveil {
was sounded that allied the whole nation &c
arms. In an instant the whole current of
his life was changed. What il has been dur
ing those twenty-four years need not here he
told. 1t is known To every sChoolboy in the
land. To those who knew him along in tn.
feeling akin to aInaZement Certainly no life
in the history of this country has illus
trated the wonderful possibilities of Ameri
Gun citizenship
dearest and most endearing place in the
hearts of this people and the position of the
highest honor in history. II IL not for us tC
question whether we might have other meu
who, with the almost unlimited resources OF
the government at their disposal upon the
slightest word. would have 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 ami cheerfully ac-
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
the most eminent genus in war the world
has ever known. IL is enough for us TO know
and realize that he was equal to our emer-
gency and delivered this nation in its supreme
hour of peril. without making comparisons
ii may be said that none will deny him the
place that has been given m among the
few great military leaders in history.
When the cautious Buell. met Grant at
Shiloh. at the close of the first disastrous
day. almost the first question he asked was
whether he had provided for retreat in case
that should be found necessary. II is not
difficult to imagine Bucls surprise when
Grant replied that he had not even thought
of that. He had come 10 stay. and the con
tingency of defeat had not entered into his
calculations. 1t has always seemed to me
that this was the one feature of Grant :
cnar,Nter tnat gave MN success. Ii WAS the
same spirit that dictated those historic
words at Donelson: Il propose to move i'm
mediately upon your works." and again. in
Ls64. the dispatch TO President Lincoln that
thrilled the nation: Il propose to fight il
out on this line if it takes all summer
Grant never permitted temporary re
verse to become absolute defeat by
withdrawing his army and abandon
ing the campaign. Though batiied
for the time, he did not for moment yield
his purpose. The ever changing uncertain
against an able and powerful adversary.
forced him often to change the details of the
general plan. but until the moment of success
there was not Il thought of faltering or hest
tation. Patiently and persistently, often at
fearful cost of life. he pursued his object
until the end WAS reached.
Grant has been called butcher" Ii is
probably true that during the year of active
operations under his supreme command
more Union soldiers were killed and wounded
in battle thar during all of the previous three
years of the war. II is no doubi also true that
had Grant conducted a cautious. heSiiating
campaign. resulting IN a further prolongation
of the war. granting eventual success. dis
ease, which kills twice as many men as
bullets, day by day and month by month
would have filled many more graves than
were opened to receive the sla n at the
Wilderness, Spottsylvania. Cold Iarbor and
Petersburg. ! believe thai if more men had
been killed in battle earlier in the war il
would not have lasted as long II did
Thousands upon thousands less would nave
joined the ghostly and endless processi0ns
that moved continuously from hundred
hospitals to those populous cites of the
dead. Ii is the best gen, ralShip that puts q
speedy end 10 war, however great may
he the Immediate cost. The world is
shocked by the It'd ngs Of a great battle. with
its thousands of k He'd and NUT lated men
and il perchance after-knowlcdge shows that
the result might have been gained with less
sacrifice of life. plenty of self constituted
critics not wanting TO denounce the
.'saughter." But the people do not note or
realize the constant iaVa.e> OF disease IN all
its forms. taking the lives and destroying the
health Of multituGos. War. at best. is cruel
and barbarous. Movements are often made,
which. in the Iight OF subsequent events. art.
condemned as ''niiSiHhrs ii s easy after
ward to sa iusi how il >i."'Iid have been
done. OF such were III" euriI lissstor at
Balls Bluff. Burnsidc's attack at redericks
burg. Sherman 5 assault upon kenesaw, and
Grants bloody engagement at Cold liarbor.
Yet no one will say that al th'Ae movements
were not made with the purest aud most pat
riotic motives. and based upon the best in
formation at command. General Grant 5 gen
teness and kindliness of heart are almost
proverbial. II is the last man who would
regard with Indifference the slaughter of his
brave soldiers even when necessary and un
ayoidable. His intimate friends say that no
criticisms upon his course a> a public man
ever touched him so kecn!y as those winch
charged him with brutal and causeiess sacr-
flee of life.
From "Carps" special correspondence in
the Cleveland Leader we CLEAN the following:
THE DARKEST DAY OF GRANTS LIFE
The following statement of how Mrs Grant
got her husband out of Washington on the
night of Lincoln's assassination showed to
General Grant at the Arlington Hotel during
the past year and was informed that 1t was
correct: