The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-13
eARLANo's LIFE OF GRANT

Ulysses S. Grant: His Life and
Character" by Hamlin Garland Dou-
bleday & Mcclure.
The most obvious criticism that will
be passed upon Mr.. Garland's new bio
graphy of Grant is that it is superAu-
Gus. If there is one subject more than
another upon which the American pub
lie is well informed, it is the war Of
the rebellion and the life and character
of the chief military hero of that war.
MI. Garland makes it appear. howev-
81, that we had not already too many
lives OF Grant. and before we have fin
'shed reading his new life we are fain
10 agree with him.
The author has compressed into a vol
Time Of $40 pages q most interesting
biography, which, opening with the
birth Of Grant in cabin at Point Plea
SAINT, Ohio traces his character and
career until in the cottage at Mount
McGregor he breathed his last, July
=, 1885. 1t is not a military history OF
General Grant. but an attempt at char
acterization. 1t is a personal life Of
The great communicable first life OF
him from the point of view Of charac-
tor rather than achievement, that has
been written. The author has spent
the last three YEATS in studying his sub
3ect, has travelled $1,000 miles in quest
of his material has visited every place
where General Grant ever lived, and
all his battlefields and has personally
talked with every intimate friend of
Grant now living who could help fill
out the picture. The material for the
numerous Illustrations has been gath
cred with the same care and original
research.
The first chapters take up the de-
mr. ~ -1xrSS III
birth to his appointment at West Point,
dwelling on the significant elements in
his life at the Military Academy, then
passing to his experiences in the Mexi-
can war and his first introduction to
national questions and military in
trigues. Then follows his period of fail
ure in civil life. concluded by his re-
enlistment In the army and his four
years of marvellous development and
achievement in the civil war The chap
ters on the reconstruction periods and
the Grant administration attempt to
show that through all complications of
the times, through the chaos of knav-
cries and double dealings, Grant pur+.
sued simple, straightforward course
remaining practically the same simple
minded, sincere man.
The history is largely anecdotal and
presents large amount OF fresh detail,
especially on the point of Grants
youthful days and the Grant and
Ward failures. 1t seems that President
Grant was chrlstened Hiram Ulysses,
and that up to the start for West Point
he has been called either that or II.
Ulysses Grant. But his name as re-
ported from Washington was T. =.
Grant, the mistake having been made
by the representative who appointed
Grant. who. knowingth Grants name
was Ulysses took for granted that his
middle name was Simpson, his moth
ers maiden name, and filed out the APP
plication So Grant asked to have it
changed but was told il was impossible
without the consent Of the secretary of,
war. Very Well said he u came
Mere to enter the military academy, and
enter SHAH. An initial more or less
does not Natter" He was known to
the government thereafter as L. S.
Grant.
Ihc volume is enriched VITA numer-
Gus good Illustrations, showing Grant
at every stage III his career ssthe AVA
NOUS homes Of the Grant family, fac
slmlles Of water color sketches made
by Grant while at West Point and OF
various letters. certificates and auto-
graphs. MI. Garland's work Isl. des-
tined to take its place as the popular
history Of the life Of President Grant