The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1885-07-25
DEATH or GEN. GRANT.
An Imperfect Glance at the Life and Char
acter of the Nations Dead.

| GCn. Ordnt Is uctu. "A uutiOA 10 oo"eNs
down in sadness. A world looks on with
sorrow. The greatest name IN the history
of the century is only an illustricus men,
ory. The failing breath whose faintest
flutter was watched with tenderest solici-
tude by sorrowing millions has deserted
Its broken tenement and the end has come
at last. If anticipated the national loss
is none the less mourned for there is none
to fill the place occupied by General
Grant in the hearts of great people.
Hiram Ulysses Grant was born at Point
Pleasant, Ohio, on the 9th of April, 1882.
His parents were of Scotch lineage-peo-
ple in humble circumstances as were all
the settlers of what was then the frontier
of American civilization. The family re-
moved to Georgetown, Ohio, in the year
after their "child of destiny was horn
and there his youth was passed as une-
ventfully as that of the average person.
He displayed no precocity and no mental
bent to indicate his future. At the age OF
seventeen he was selected to 60 to West
Point in place of youth from his con-
gressional district who had failed to keep
up with his class the year before and was
dismissed in consequence. The congress
man who procured him this appointment
sent in his name as Ulysses S. Grant; so it
| was entered on the records at West Point,
so it remained and under that name he
graduated and is known to the world.
The initials U. S. have suggested such
mic knames as "Unclc Sam," "United
Statcs'' and unconditional Surrender"
| His West Point career was remarkable for
nothing in particular. He was an average
boy and graduated in 1843, twenty first in
a class of thirty-nine. He was given
brevet commission as second lieutenant
and attached as supernumerary officer to
the Fourth Infantry. When the Mexican
war broke out he with his regiment joined
Gen. Taylor's army and received his bap-
tism of fire at Palo Alto. He was in every
battle of that war except Buena Vista and
for distinguished gallantry at Molina del
Rcy and Chapultepec was brevetted first
lieutenant and then captain. He came
out of the war with the full rank of first
lieutenant Then followed garrison duty on
the Canadian frontier and in California and
Oregon until 1854 when, having meantime
been promoted to captaincy, he resi- signed
from the army. In 1S48 he had married
Miss Julia T. Dent daughter of well-to-
do merchant OF St. Louis, and when he re-
turned from military life he settled
on farm near that city. He was
in poor circumstances. He lived in a
log house, plowed his land, cut wood and
hauled it to the St. Louis market and
made many shifts for living. But he
had no success and in 1860 he abandoned
farming and went to Galena, Illinois.a en-
paqed with his father and brother in leatll-
er tanning. He was still wrestling with the
pecuniary problem of life when the civil
war broke out. In few days after the
fall of Fort Sumter he was drilling a COM
pany of Galena volunteers. He had
owned some slaves in Missouri and was nc
abolitionist, but he was a Union man,
heart and soul, and never hesitated in the
choice of the line of duty. He marched
his Galcna volunteers to Springfield, re-
mained there several weeks assisting in
the organization of the state troops and
was then commissioned Colonel of the
Twenty first Illinois infantry. His regi-
ment was ordered to Missouri; he was COM
missioned brigadier-general of volunteers
and given command of the Southeastern
Missouri district with headquarters al
Cairo. His first important movement
land it was very importantly was the seizure
of Paducah, Kentucky, which was done
without bloodshed. The capture of thi!
place secured the navigation of the Ten
nessee and the Ohio and changed Ken
tucky's neutrality to abiding Unionism
During the next two months he disciplined
his raw troops and was then ordered t.
make a demonstration against Belmont
Missouri. The demonstration was con
verted into an actual engagement in TIN
critical phases of which Grant displayed
many of the peculiar qualities which
make up his character as soldier in com
mand. In February, 1862, he was permit
ted to carry out his long cherished pla1
of attacking Forts Donclson and Henry
Henry fell easily and itsgarrison retreate'
to Donelson. This strong fortress wa
garrisoned by 21,O0O men to which Gran
opposed $4,000. The short siege wa
prolific of suffering and death; then cam
the demand for "immediate and uncon
; ditional surrender" from Grant-term
l. that were complied with and Fort Donel
son was taken. In recognition Of this i'm
portant blow Grant was made Major
general of volunteers and appointe'
q to the district of West Tennessee
i On the 9Th and 7th Of April, 1862, tel