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AH A MAN, THE NOULKST AM* PIFIKST OK HIS TI.MKS, AS A SdlilUKIl, IHK lltOI- OK MILLIONS OF PKOPI.E. AS A rni/EN, THE (illANDEST OK THE NATION. THE MOST COMPLETE AND AUTHENTIC HISTORY OP THK LIFK AiND PUBLIC SERVICES OF GENERAL U. S. GRANT, "THE NAPOLEON OF AMEHICA." CONTAINI.NO A Kll.l. ACCOINT OK HIS EARLV l.IKK; HIS HEroilK AS A STLDEN7 AT THE WEST I'OINT MIMTAKV ACADEMY ; HIS (JAM.ANTKV IN THE MEXICAN war; ms HONOIIAIH.ECAKEEK AS A BI'SINESS MAN IN ST. LOIIS AND HAEENA ; HIS EMINENT SERVICES TO HIS COI'NTRV IN OCR OREAT Civil. WAR ; HIS ELECTION TO THE PRESIDENCY ; HIS ABLE AND J'ATRIOTIC ADMINISTRATION; HIS TOUR AROLND THE WORLD, WITH AN ACCOUNT OK THE GRJIAT HONORS SHOWN HIM BY THE EMPERORS, KINGS AND RULERS OK ALL NATIONS; HIS HKROISM IN SI KKERINO, AND PATHETIC DEATH. BY COLON El^ Hi: MM AN TDIKCK, THE \A/ELU-KNO>A/N AUTHOR. THE RECORD (»K AN IIDNOU A l!LE AN!) IIIIILLIANT CAI5EEK; A STKIKINO ILLUS- TRATION OK THE TRIUMPH OK (iEMUS UNDER KREE INSTITUTIONS. Emyiishiiil Willi uiMilv 2(1(1 Fine llliistnil'miis of Scenes in the Lile of tlu- (jrent Soldier. C. R. PARISH & CO., E.6//:J35 " Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year ,885. by WM. R. VANSANT, I„ the Office of the Librarian of Congress.^ Waslungton.D^. __ INTRODUCTION. This account of the early life of General Grant is at once full and accurate, for it was obtained from original and authentic sources. The history of his military career is written with that skill and power which, long since, secured for our author the foremost position among American historical writers. The battles in which Gen- eral Grant was engaged, from that of Belmont to the final surrender of General Lee's army, are described in detail, and with that graphic power which presents the different scenes with all the brilliancy, vividness and dis- tinctness of a painting, and with the life-like accuracy of a photograph. His two administrations as President are described with a master's pen, and his travels round the world, with the receptions and honors conferred on him, exceeding in number and brilliancy those shown to any royal potentate, are set forth with the vivid powers of description for which the author is so distinguished. The trials of his private life, his sickness, wonderful patience in suffering, and his universally lamented death are all depicted with unrivalled pathos and power. It is the pride and boast of America that this is a country of self-made men. However humble may be the position of a man, it is within his power, in this land of equality and free institutions, to attain the highest honors within the gift of his fellow-citizens. Our history is full of the names of men who, without friends or fortune to aid them, have risen by the force of their own abilities 7 ■ 5^567 8 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. to the proudest position in the Republic. Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Garfield, and their glorious' compeers, were all self-made men, and carved out their great suc- cesses by their own unaided efforts. Their examples shine out brighdy to encourage and cheer others who are struggling onward in the road by which they climbed to greatness. No career in all our history furnisJies a more brilliant example of this than that of General Ulysses S. Grant. Starting as a poor boy, he raised himself to the highest pinnacle of fame. It is but natural that hi'^ countrymen should desire to know the means by which this great success was accomplished. To meet this demand the author has prepared this volume, which relates in the most fascinating manner the life of this truly great man. The work is more interesting than a novel, for it is true. It is the story of unconquerable determination and sub- lime self-reliance, of lofty purpose and inflexible resolve, of incorruptible integrity and moral courage of the highest type, of noble effort and magnificent achievement, of a prolonged and determined struggle, crowned by the most brilliant triumphs. No more truly did the great Napoleon rise from obscurity to the pinnacle of fame by herculean energy and an indomitable will that carried him over the snow- capped mountains in the piercing cold of mid-winter, than did General Grant, by the same innate, progressive energy, rise from obscurity to the highest position attain- able in this the foremost nation of the world. His life, while wrapped in romance like a cloak, had its shadows, its sacrifices and its magnificent successes. It is an inspir- ing, captivating and thrilling story, and points such a moral as only great deeds can. The young men of the nation should read it, for it may be to them a source of INTR OD UCTION. 9 inspiration. Old men should read it, for it will recall to them holy memories of the deeds of the great men of our past history. This book differs essentially from the many so-called Lives of Grant now being published, and should not be classed with them. While recording his illustrious achievements in the field and his career as President of the United States, it is yet personal, rather than political, and free from partisan coloring, depicting not only the exploits of Grant the soldier, but the entire life of Grant the man, his daily habits and conversation, his thoughts and his motives, as evinced by his acts and words, under all the circumstances of his eventful life. His record is clearly presented, that all men may see his life has been free from stain, his services honorable and distinguished, and that his claims to the love and confidence of the American people rest upon a solid foundation of genuine merit and faithful service honor- ably performed. No soldier, since Napoleon I., has accomplished such great results. It is generally ad- mitted that the victories of General Grant saved the Union, and it is not, therefore, surprising that all the world should have done homage to the greatest military genius of the century. THE WORK SHOWS How a poor boy secured a good education and fitted himself for the struggle he meant to make in after-life. How, when the call of his country summoned him to arms, he became a great soldier; how he turned the tide of defeat, and began the series of Union victories that cheered the hearts of his countrymen and caused our brave soldiers to take fresh courage and resolve to conquer or die. 10 LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT. How he won a great and glorious name as a gen- eral in the service of his country ; hov/ he mounted from rank to rank until he finally attained the proud position of Commander-in-Chief of the National Armies. How he led our brave soldiers to victory on many hard-fought fields, and finally suppressed the Rebellion. How, without solicitation, or any effort on his part, he was nominated for the Presidency of the United States, and triumphantly elected. How he was inaugurated President amidst the rejoic- ings of the people, and with the most imposing cere- monies ever witnessed in the Capitol of the nation. How by his able and patriotic administration of the national ofovernment he won the confidence and afiection of the whole people. How a noble and well-spent life has brought honor and fame to a true and earnest man, thus holding out one of the most glorious examples ever offered to the young men of our country. The splendor of General Grant's reception in the many countries through which he traveled in his re- markable journey around the world was owing to his great fame as a soldier. Wherever he went he was re- ceived by people and sovereigns with royal honors, and was in all respects the most honored traveler that ever accomplished the journey around the world. The distinguished American ex-President, though traveling as a private citizen made the most remarkable seeing more, and being more honored and admitted to closer confidence by Emperors, Kings and Rulers, than any other person who has undertaken to seek instruction and recreation by extensive travels through foreign lands. The whole journey was like a of the United States, journey in history. INTR OD UCTION. 11 romance, and the countries through which General Grant traveled exerted themselves to show him all they have worth seeing. Who of crowned monarchs could have made the circuit of civilization with so many distinguished marks of honor? Who of contemporary military men would have excited so much interest in all quarters of the globe ? The work not only relates the travels and experiences of General Grant, but it is full of carefully prepared de- scriptions of the famous cities and sights of Europe, Asia and Africa, and abounds in information respecting the people, manners and customs of the old world. It is, therefore, a work of great value, giving as it does a life- like picture of the places and people visited by the great commander in the course of his travels. The author's intimate knowledge of the man whose life he relates has rendered him peculiarly suited to the task he has undertaken. He has embraced every means of thoroughly acquainting himself with his subject, and it is confidently asserted that he has produced a work that will win its way into every household. nasmm 'A < is ■A "A > ( i s a s c u tl G w w ar ac hi ar wi LAST HOURS OF GENERAL GRANT. BV MIS PASTOR, REV. J. P. NEWMAN, D. D. In writing of tlie last hours and religious faith of General Grant, Rev. Dr. Newman said : " I arrived at Mt. McGregor Tuesday afternoon, at 6 P. M. " While with the family at dinner, in the hotel, General Grant was removed from his sick room, wherein he had spent so many weary and suffering days and nights, into the drawing-room, which afforded purer air and more agreeable surroundings. The change was necessary, both as a diversion to the illustrious sufferer and for the convenience of his faithful attendants. From se/en till nine he sank rapidly, without any apparent signs of re- covery, but retained his consciousness and the clearness of his intellect. He was surrounded with his family and physicians, and, at Mrs. Grant's request, we all bowed around the General's chair, and offered our supplications for strength and comfort in that supreme moment. " The General indicated his appreciation of the sacredness of the ceremonies by clasping his hands as in reverential prayer. All were deeply moved, as all feared the end had come. But, to the surprise and delight of the physicians ?nd the family, the General greatly revived by nine o'clock, and indicated his wish to write. As quickly as possible, in response to the wish, an elegant writing board, often used by the departed, was placed upon the arms of his chair. A solitary wax taper burned before him. He adjusted his glasses ; and then, witb a trembling hand, wrote with his pencil on the tablet before him. His face wore an expression of anguish, and his thin lips seemed to pronounce the words he wished to write. He hesitated for a moment ; but he gathered up 1'3) 14 LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT. his soul in strength for the supreme effort. Having written down half the page, he traced each line with his pencil to see that each line expressed his thought, and then crossed the /'s and punctuated the sentences. But he had not written all that he desired. Again he called upon himself for additional strength, and finished the communication. It was addressed to his noble son, the Colonel, and contained the wish that, wherever the General might be buried, Mrs. Grant should have a resting place by his side in death. " The writing-desk was removed ; but, in a few moments he recalled it, and he wrote a short communication to his son, giving some important direction, when the Colonel replied : ' Father, I have attended to that." Again the desk was removed, and again he called for it. The family sought to persuade him not to make another effort, but he was still General, and his wishes were granted, and he wrote another family message. " The members of the household retired to the verandah. The lights were turned down and all prayed that the Lord would give his beloved sleep. But at 1 1 o'clock, he sent word to us who were sitting on the porch : ' There is no earthly reason why you should sit up. Go and take your rest.' This was uttered in a husky whisper. "All withdrew, but no one could sleep. The weary hours wore on. Wednesday came, with its fitful transitions. The illustrious sufferer was conscious and calm. As we sat around him, watching each respiration, he suddenly opened his eyes, and whispered : ' I hope no one will feel distressed on my account' And thus he sought to direct attention away from himself in his solicitude for the comfort of those he loved. This was the grandeur of his soul. To save others was the mission of his life ; and this ruling passion was strong in death. " The day had passed, the family had gone to dinner, except the oldest son, who, noticing his father's restlessness in the chair, sug- gested that he might find more comfort lying upon the bed. It was evidently agreeable, and, forgetting his feebleness, true to his char- acter, he made the effort to rise. IT'S attendants gently lifted him and placed him on the couch from which he was never to rise. He had not then reclined for more than eight months. Ht was in no danger now of strangulation from the accumulation of mucus, and iM^^tfift;rfia? LAST HOURS OF GENERAL GRANT. '5 he quietly rested ; but within an hour thereafter the end seemed imminent. "Again we gathered around the husband, father, and friend and, at Mrs. Grant's request, all bowed in prayer while I committed his departing soul to the sheltering-arms of that Divine Redeemer in whom he trusted with a simple and beautiful faith. " Again death relaxed his grasp. The feet were cold, and also the hands, but the brow was warm and it was evident that the brain would be the last of him to die. " Still conscious, his intellect was unclouded. Mrs. Grant pressed his cold hand and said, ' Darling, do you know me?' and he opened his eyes and gave her the look of love. The respirations grew shorter, now forty-four. Within an hour thereafter fifty, then, as the nigh twore on, they increased to sixty-five. The pulse was too rapid to be counted. The mucus gathered in the throat, and there was neither ability to eject it or swallow it, and the respirations caused the death rattle, which was more distressing to those in at- tendance than to the sufferer. " His lips were constantly moistened with ice water, now by the wife, now by the daughter, or by the faithful nurse. None of the household slept. All were keeping holy vigils : for all felt sure that as the light of another morning came would also come upon his spirit the light of the morning of his immortality. " About four o'clock in the morning he opened his eyes in re- sponse to my question, ' General, do you know me? ' and, an hour before he expired, again he opened his eyes in response to a similar question by his precious daughter Nellie. This was his last look of earthly recognition. " At 8 o'clock on Thursday morning of July 23d, all were sum- moned for the final meeting. Death had conquered the noble brow, and the expressive features were calm. The breath grew shorter, and at 8.08 the dying hero opened his eyes upon the sorrowing group around him ; and then, with a gentle breath, he took his flight from the scenes of earth and time. " It was his last earthly look on those he loved, and with that farewell vision he ascended to his reward. All were deeply moved, yet all controlled their profound emotions. The beloved wife kissed the calm brow, and then I led her to the sofa, whispenng a MBSm i6 LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GK..Nr. word of hope and comfort, where she soon regained her accustomed composure. " The great warrior and statesman, patriot, and friend, died as the Christian dieth. He had said to me, ' I believe in the Holy Scrip- tures, and whoever follows them, will be benefited thereby.' His faith in immortality was without a doubt, and he wrote on a tablet: ' I pray that the prayers of the people, offered in my behalf, may be so far answered that we may all meet in a better world.' And when I suggested, in the month of April, that he might be restored, and accomplish much for his countrymen by his religious example, his response was, If I am spared, I shall throw all my influence in that direction. >&i> %^ ustomcd :d as the !y Scrip- y.' His I tablet: alf, may .' And restored, example, uence in / / / "^r^^iKfr^ .m.m:i^ THEJ LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF General Ulysses S. Grant, THE NAPOLEON OF AMERICA. CHAPTER I. ANCESIRY. The Ancestors of Uly«ses S. Grant — Mntiliew (Jrant emigrates from Devon, England — Samuel Grant — Samuel Grant 2(1 — Noali Grant — N'oali Grant 2(1 — Noah (Jrant 3(1 — Jesse K. Grant— Ulyses S. Grant— Hoy hood of Ulysses— His admiration for George Washington — A leader among Ins C(Mn|)anious — An excellent livler and industrious boy — Nominated fur a c.idetsiii[> — Changing his name. The biograpliy of the g^reat hero who saved our glori- ous Union will always be read with the deepest interest l)y his countrymen. No military man of modern times lias accomplished so much as the subject of this narrative. From his boyhood his deeds and not his words have always spoken for him. Whenever he deemed it advisa- ble to make any important military movement, he would consult his generals, and if he thought their plans good he would adopt them, ami if successful give them the credit. If he failed he would take the blam^ upon himself. He never pushed himself into notoriety, and yet no man on this continent ever enjoyed more celebrity. The name of Ulysses S. Grant will be remembered with veneration and tjratitude as Ion'-: as the United States of America exist. Amonir the ''real generals of their times, he will always be spoken of as one of the foremost. His countrymen proved to him their gratitude by raising him to »' ' (17) / / / i8 LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT. the hifjhest military position obtainable, that of General of the United States Army, then by twice electing him Presi- dent of the United States by overwhelminor majorities, and finally, by reinstating him to the office as full General and putting him on the retired list. The latter act of Congress was passed on the 4th day of March, 1885, the signing of which was the las', official act of the then outjroinir Presi- dent, Chester A. Arthur. During the latter part of the summer of 1630, or early in the fall, no less than seventeen vessels arrived in New England, bringing families, their cattle, house- hold goods, and other worldly possessions. The " Mary and John," a ship of 400 tons, which sailed from Ply- mouth, England, on the 20th of March, brought 140 emi- grants from "the West-country," Dorsetshire, Devon and Somerset, among them Matthew Grant and Priscilla, his wife, the earliest known ancestors of General Grant. They were both twenty-nine years of age, and brought with them an infant daughter. The ship landed at Nantasket, about nine miles from the city of Boston. The Nantasket setders hospitably received the newcomers until they could land at Boston. Captain Squib, master of the " Mary and John," though a good sailor, was not willing to venture his ship into the intricacies of a harbor of which he knew nothing. But he had agreed to take his immigrants to Boston ; and the colo- nial authorities held a prejudice, not yet altogether extinct in New England, in favor of having agreements lived up to. So Captain Squib's passengers brought suit against him. and recovered damages, for not being landed at their destined port. Some days elapsed after the immigrants n 'irhed Nan- tasket before Governor Winthrop arrived at Salem, then boastinof but ten buildin4 s (^ u m C4 O (4 (30 """TTTri-fmrr-ifiifi- 32 LIFE OF ULYSS'ZS S. GRANT. run. The surface of the country is of a rolling character, and is quite hilly in the vicinity of the Ohio river. The soil generally is of a rich nature, and the surface rock is formed of the blue limestone. A railroad now passes alonir its northern border, some distance from Grant's birthplace ; but at the time when that general entered upon his career, the iron tramway was entirely unknown in that region of the country. Soon after the birth of his first son, a discussion occurred in the family in regard to the name which should be given him. His mother and one of his aunts proposed Albert, in honor of Albert Gallatin, at that time a prominent states- man. Some one else proposed Theodore, and his grand- father Simpson suggested Hiram. His step-grandmother, being a great student of history, and an ardent admirer of Ulysses, proposed that name. After due deliberation he was christened Hiram Ulysses. The boyhood of Ulysses, as he was commonly called, passed in a comparatively new country, did not differ mate- rially from that of other boys surrounded by similar cir- cumstances. He began to manifest an independent, self- reliant and venturous disposition at a very early age, and from the time he was first permitted to go out alone, he lost no opportunity of riding and breaking horses, driving teams, and helping his father in whatever wo *• his strength and size would enable him to do. At the ^g c', seven and a half years, during his father's absence, he iiarnessed a three-year-old colt to a sled, and hauled brush with him for an entire day. He became accustomed to harness horses when he was so small that he could not put the bridle or collar on without climbing into the manger, nor throw the harness over their backs without standing upon a half- bushel measure. Before he was ten years old he had got to be a skillful driver, and used to do full work in hauling wood, taking leather to Cincinnati and bringing passengers back to Georgetown, where the family then lived. He became a good rider at nine years of age, having begun, like most farmer boys, by riding the horses to water. Long before Ulysses had reached his twelfth year he could icter, The ck is asses rant's upon 1 that :urred given lert, in states- Trand- lother, irer of ion he o M en (3.^) ■iiin.- r'tTfv*1raBa 34 LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT. W' ride any horse at full speed, standing upon his back and balancing himself by the bridle reins. His quiet and gen- tle disposition, together with a remarkable degree of firm- ness, rendered him particularly successful in controlling horses, and in breaking them to the saddle and harness. This he always did for his father, but his fame soon spread beyond the family circle and caused his talent to be called into requisition by the neighbors who had troublesome horses to break. At that time pacing horses were in great demand for the saddle, and to teach a horse this gait required no slight skill and patience. Ulysses was quite an adept in this as in other things relating to horses, but from some idea of pride he would not exercise his skill for money, although not unwilling to do real work, or go on errands of business. One of his father's friends had a fine young horse which he wished to use as a riding horse, but he could not teach him to pace. Knowing Ulysses' un- willingness to set about such a task as this for hire, he engaged him to carry a letter to a neighboring town, and as the lad was riding away called out to him, " please teach that colt to pace." Ulysses returned the horse at night a perfect pacer, but having ascertained that the letter was simply sent to deceive Kim, he could never afterward be induced to teach a horse to pace. It was an uneventful life in the little Ohio village. When Ulysses was three years old a second son was born to his parents, and named Simpson. The two grew up together. Their school comrades often used, after the fashion of those days, to go home with the Grant boys in winter, and spend the evening betore the great log-fire, which blazed on the kitchen hearth, playing "fox and geese," "morris," and "checkers," eating apples, cracking hickory-nuts, telHng stories, propounding riddles, and ending the fun by sleep- ing together. Two brothers, who were their closest intimates, are still living in Georgetown. Both went through the Mexican War ; one has been a Democratic Representative in Con- gress, and the other, as a brigadier-general of volunteers, did gallant service during our great war. ANCESTRY. 35 Still bxican Con- Iteers, Ulysses was a very quiet but by no means a dififident boy. His father, who was fond and vain of his children, was given to putting them forward ; and Ulysses was the favorite, because he would do, or at least attempt, what- ever he was told. Both father and mother were members of the Methodist church, and there was a little meeting- house across the street. Methodist ministers frequently spent the night at the house. A visitor remembers one evening when Ulysses, then only seven or eight years old, at the call of his father, stepped out briskly, stood up in a corner, and recited : " You'd scarce expect one of my age To speak in public on the stage." He rattled it off hurriedly and mechanically, but still with great readiness. Daniel Webster, in boyhooc' could not summon composure enough to "speak his piece," but Ulysses Grant could without the least diffidence. If any wiseacre had had opportunity to compare the two, his pro- phetic soul would undoubtedly have seen in the farmer's son a great orator in embryo, and, perchance, in the shy New Hampshire boy, the promise of a successful general. He accumulated a little money by carting wood, and driving passengers, who arrived in Georgetown by stage, to their homes in the adjacent country. So at nine, he bought a colt for seventeen dollars, and from that time was never without a horse of his own. He frequently traded, always had a little fund of money, and was thought to give indications of unusual business capacity, though he never manifested it in his personal affairs in after life. He was known far and near as the best horseman " in all the country round." When nine or ten years old, he had acquired such repute for fast riding, that horse-jockeys who had steeds suffering from a distemper, which was re- lieved by riding them so fast as to heat them, used to bring the animals to Georgetown, for the tanner's son to try them for a few miles at the break-neck gallop, in whicli his heart delighted. Neighboring farmers also brought refrac- tory horses for him to train and subdue. More than once 36 LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRaini. I'n!' the little fellow was seen racing around the public square upon a kicking, rearing, pitching beast, to which, with arms clasped about its neck, and fat bare feet pressed against its flanks, the lad was clinging with the same tenacity which he manifested later in life. A favorite amusement was to stand barefoot upon a sheepskin strapped on his horse's back to keep the rider's feet from slipping, and then put the animal on a fast gallop down to the brook or up the main street. Before he was twelve he learned to ride thus, standing only upon one foot, and holding by the bridle rein. The widow of Dr. Bailey, nearest neighbor to the Grants, says : " In general, Ulysses was exceedingly kind and amiable. Our boys never had the least dispute with him about any- thing except horses ; but sometimes, when they galloped together down to the ' run ' to water, Ulysses would laugh at our boys, and tell them our horses were getting poor. This used to trouble them, and they would ask me, with great anxiety, if ours really were thin and slow." One of the sons of this lady met his death through his fondness for horses. He was riding a refractory one which became frightened, reared, rolled over, and killed the rider. In this connection an anecdote is dropped by th. ^:)ater- nal gossip, which deserves to be preserved as a graphic description of a scene through which many smart lads have passed, and as indicating in this particular instance some of that pluck, and tenacity of will, which distinguished the Wilderness campaign. " Once, when he was a boy, a show came along, in which there was a mischievous pony, trained to go round the ring like lightning ; and he was expected to throw any boy that attempted to ride him. " ' Will any boy come forward and ride this pony ? ' shouted the ring-master. " Ulysses stepped forward, and mounted the pony. The performance began. Round and round and round the ring went the pony, faster and faster, making the greatest effort to dismount the rider ; but Ulysses sat as steady as if he had grown to the pony's back. Presently out came a large ANCESTRY. 37 monkey, and sprang up behind Ulysses. The people set up a great shout of laughter, and on the pony ran ; but it all produced no effect on the rider. Then the ring-master made the monkey jump up on to Ulysses' shoulders, stand- ing with his feet on his shoulders, and with his hands hold- ing on to his hair. At this there was another and a still louder shout ; but not a muscle of Ulysses' face moved : there was not a tremor of his nerves. A few more rounds, and the ring-master gave it up : he had come across a boy that the pony and the monkey both could not dismount." That quiet, fixed resolution, which was such a marked feature in his character, he possessed when a mere lad. His father possessed great confidence in his ability to take care of himself, and once sent him, when but twelve years of age, *-o Louisville, alone. We give the incident in Jesse Grant'b language. He says : " It was necessary for me to have a deposition taken there, to be used in a law-suit in which I was engaged in the State of Connecticut. I had written more than once about it to my lawyers, but could not get the business done. ' I can do it,' said Ulysses. So I sent him on the errand alone. Before he started, I gave him an open letter that he might show the captain of the boat, or any one else, if he should have occasion, stating that he was my son, and was going to Louisville on my business. Going down, he happened to meet a neighbor with whom he was ac- quainted ; so he had no occasion to use the letter. But when he came on board a boat, to return, the captain asked him who he was. He told him ; but the captain answered, 'I cannot take you; you may be running away.' Ulysses then produced my letter, which put everything right ; and the captain not only treated him with great kindness, but took so much interest in him as to invite him to go as far as Maysville with him, where he had relatives living, free of expense. He brought back the deposition with him, and that enabled me to succeed in making a satisfactory adjust* ment of my suit." The father remembers also the following incident, of which doubtless similar may be related of hundreds of Em 38 LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT, ' Ji Others who never reached any eminence, yet it has a pe- culiar interest in the light of after events. He says, " I will relate another circumstance which j have never men- tioned before, which you may use as you think proper. He was always regarded as extremely apt in figures. When he was ten years old a distinguished phrenologist, came along and stayed several days in the place. He was frequently asked to examine heads blindfolded. Among others, Ulys- ses was placed in the chair. The phrenologist felt his head for several minutes without saying anything ; at length, a noted doctor asked him if the boy had a capacity for mathe- matics. The phrenologist, after some further examination, said, 'You need not be surprised if you see this boy fill the presidential chair some time.' " Now, whether the opinion of the phrenologist was worth anything or not, or whether it was a mere piece of flattery, or a scientific opinion, may not, perhaps* be of much con- sequence ; but one thing is certain, if he had not been dif- ferent from the ordinary class of boys of his age he never would have been selected as a subject for public examina- tion. This fact alone shows that he was a marked lad, possessing certain positive, distinct qualities which distin- guished him from others. If it were not so, the examina- tion of his head would have been without significance. Many anecdotes are told of him when a little older, showing that great self-reliance which also formed so remarkable a trait of his manhood. The means for securing that mental discipline and cul- ture necessary to fit him for any position of eminence were wanting in the little town where he resided. His moral training, however, was excellent. Though his parents were not the old rigid Scotch Covenanters, they had the Scotch probity and prudence, and inculcated right princi- ples into the boy, and it is said of him what can be said of few lads, that he was never known to tell a lie or use a profane word. He devoted himself to his father's business of tanning leather with reluctance, preferring to drive a team instead. But while he was thus growing a strong, broad-shoul- ANCESTRY. 39 dered young man in an obscure western village, he was not satisfied with his lot. Besides, his father felt that he ouo-ht to have the benefit of a better education than could be obtained at home. It was a subject of much anxious thouijht with him, for he believed that his son had capacity for a more important position than that which the trade of a tanner would give him. But his means were limited — the want of money, which chains so many gifted minds to the mere effort to obtain a livelihood in the dull routine in which they have been brought up, stood sadly in the way of young Grant being placed in the more enlarged sphere for which he seemed to be fitted. Young Grant had a very keen sense of justice. One day, playing with the Bailey boys, he knocked the ball through a window of their house. Rushing in, with his round face blushing scarlet, he said earnestly to their mother : " Mrs. Bailey, I have broken your window, but I am going right up town to get another pane of glass for you, and have it put in at once." But he was too great a favorite with the lady, and, indeed, with all her family, for them to exact such a measure of justice from him. A litde brook ran beside the tan-yard. During a June freshet, when the lad was ten years old, it overflowed all the vats, and sent the leather and bark floating away. But the leather caught in thick willows, and the stream was soon full of men and delighted boys swimming in to bring it back. All was reclaimed, without serious injury, and Jesse's only loss was the valuable bark — that which was dry and unused floating off, but the old and water-soaked remammg. He was extremely fond of skating, and learned it while very young. When nine or ten years old, he froze his feet from tight straps. Mrs. Grant, a physician on instinct, was on terms of intimacy with every conceivable malady that juvenile flesh is heir to, and had a remedy for it duly put away and labeled in some corner of her memory. Of course, such a mother is worth all the physicians in the uKjamtkim MuidMUMMS^w 40 MIK OK ULYSSES S. (IRANT. world for little invalids, despite her harmless idiosyncrasies, one of which in her case found vent in administering salts to the children regularly, sick or well, at certain seasons of the year. This time she smoked the frozen feet of the young sufferer with hay, and then bound on slices of bacon to take out the frost. Ulysses and his comrades, when very young, used to sit barefooted on the bank of the little brook beside the tan- yard, fishing for " chubs " and *' shiners," with hooks of bent pins. As they grew older they angled for larger members of the finny tribe a mile west of the town, in a considerable stream, which was there called White Oak Creek, but in New England would be dignified into a river. Here, too, was excellent bathing-ground. Ulysses was a capital swimmer and an expert diver, with unusual endur- ance in remaining under water. Hunting was a common amusement among the boys of the neighborhood. By day they pursued rabbits, gray squirrels, and partridges in the woods ; at night they had the more exciting sport of treeing raccoons with dogs, and then felling the trees. In these diversions Ulysses seldom joined. While his comrades were playing, he was hauling loads for neighbors, or driving stage passengers home. Thus he was enabled to be a profitable customer for the village confecdonery, whose treasures he lavished with a free hand upon his playmates and young ragamuffins generally. A month before Ulysses was eleven, an uncle by mar- riage, who was named Marshall, died near Deerfield, Ohio, the old home of the Grant family. Jesse immediately went to settle the affairs of his bereaved sister, and bring her and her five orphan children to Georgetown, Ulysses accom- panied him., and it was his first considerable journey. Taking steamer from Ripley to Wellsville, and stage thence to New Lisbon thirty-five miles, father and son made the last fifteen miles on horseback. They spent two or three weeks with Mrs. Marshall, selling at public auction all the family effects, except bedding, crockery, and other articles easy of transportation. Then, with the widow and children, they turned their faces homeward. One of the cousins^ :rasies, g salts leasons feet of ices of d to sit the tan- (oks of • larger ,vn, in a ite Oak ) a river. ;s was a 1 endur- boys of its, gray they had logs, and s seldom ; hauling ■s home, r for the ith a free enerally. by mar- Id, Ohio, ely went her and accom- id stage feon made or three )n all the ir articles children, cousins. IJRANT'S JlKAlMjUARTlikS NEAR FORT DONKI.SON. m (iRANT'S llEAD-gUARTKRS NKAR V1CKSBUR(;. ANCESTRY. 4» James Marshall, was near the age of Ulysses ; and the two boys, riding on the coupling-pole behind the wagon, were delighted with the trip. Starting on a Monday afternoon, the party reached Deer- field, six miles distant, that night, and on Tuesday night, New Lisbon, where they " put up " at the village tavern. (3n Wednesday, finding their team overloaded, they char- tered a two-horse wagon, and evening found them at Wells- ville. There they took the steamer " Lady Byron," taking their horses and wagon on board, and descending the river. A broken wheel compelled the boat to stop at Wheeling for several hours. Ulysses and James strolled up through the streets, less sleepy then than now. While they were loiter- ing about the City Hotel, a traveller asked young Grant : "What will you take this trunk down to the steamer for?" "A fi'-penny bit," replied the lad. The five-penny bit, usually contracted to "fip" in Western mouths, was worth six and a quarter cents, an outlay which the extravagant traveller fancied he could afford. So Ulysses at one end, and James at the other, bore the heavy trunk down to the boat half a mile away, and earned their reward. It is to be hoped that they never in after-life did so much hard work for so little money. There was no wharf at Wheeling. The water was nearly level with the top of the stone wall, trom which a staging extended to the boat. The steamer had on board many German emigrants, going to' Louisville and Cincinnati. With genuine boyish fondness for mischief, the two lads so arranged the planks that the first person venturing upon them would tumble in. The first happened to be a little German boy habited in a red flannel dress, and not more than three years old. As he stepped upon it the staging gave way, and " chuck " he fell into the water. The alarm was shouted, and, as he came up to the surface for the second time, some of his people caught him by the hair and lifted him out. The thoughtless boys were sadly frightened, but cautions enough to hold their peace, and unspeakably relieved to see the streaming young Teuton saved from drowning. B>''WWW