Ulysses S. Grant was born on April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Clermaont County, Ohio. At the age of seventeen he went to West Point. At West Point, Grant was one of 50 cadets that later served in the Civil War. Grant was a average student; he graduated 21st in his class out of 39. His favorite subject was mathematics, he hoped to eventually becaome an instructor at West Point but was sent to join the infantry comany in St. Louis. "When Grant arrived at West Point and discovered that the Academy had him registered under the wrong name, he tried to get the error corrected. He was told that it didn't matter what he or his parents thought his name was, the official government application said his name was 'Ulysses S.' and that application could not be changed. If Hiram U. Grant wanted to attend West Point, he would have to change his name." (source1, source2)
"As tensions mounted between the United States and Mexico, Grant and his regiment participated in the battles of Palo Alto, and Resaca de la Palma as part of the army of Zachary Taylor, an officer he greatly admired. In these fights, Grant learned to not fear combat as well as the importance of sound logistics and adequate supply. Grant and his regiment accompanied the army of General Winfield Scott all the way to Mexico City, where Grant distinguished himself in the battles of Molino del Rey and Chapultepec".(source)
"Grant spent the next six years in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, Julia Dent Grant. After several short-lived pursuits, including a brief episode as a farmer, he moved to Galena, Illinois to be a clerk in his brother’s store. When the Civil War began in 1861, he jumped at the chance to volunteer for military service in the Union army. His first command was as the colonel of a regiment from Illinois, but he was promoted to brigadier general by September."(source)
"Grant the general had many qualities but he had a thing that's very necessary for a great general. He had what they call 'four o'clock in the morning courage.' You could wake him up at four o'clock in the morning and tell him they had just turned his right flank and he would be as cool as a cucumber. Grant, after that first night in the Wilderness, went to his tent, broke down, and cried very hard. Some of the staff members said they'd never seen a man so unstrung. Well, he didn't cry until the battle was over, and he wasn't crying when it began again the next day. It just shows you the tension that he lived with without letting it affect him... Grant, he's wonderful."(source)
"Grant, dying a painful death from throat cancer, wrote his Personal Memoirs (1885-86) to help support his family. This work is highly regarded by historians for its candor, evenness, and humor."(source)
"Grant showed many admirable and lovable traits. There was a charming side to his trustful simplicity, which was at times almost like that of a sailor set ashore. He abounded in kindliness and generosity, and if there was anything especially difficult for him to endure, it was the sight of human suffering, as was shown on the night at Shiloh, where he lay out of doors in the icy rain rather than stay in a comfortable room where the surgeons were at work. His good sense was strong, as well as his sense of justice, and these qualities stood him in good service as president, especially in his triumphant fight against the greenback monster. Altogether, in spite of some shortcomings Grant was a massive, noble and lovable personality, well fitted to be remembered as one of the heroes of a great nation."(source)
Book 1
Book 2
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Lincoln's worldview
"Born in a backwoods cabin 3 miles (5 km) south of Hodgenville, Kentucky, Lincoln was two years old when he was taken to a farm in the neighbouring valley of Knob Creek. His earliest memories were of this home and, in particular, of a flash flood that once washed away the corn and pumpkin seeds he had helped his father plant. His father, Thomas Lincoln, was the descendant of a weaver's apprentice who had migrated from England to Massachusetts in 1637. Though much less prosperous than some of his Lincoln forebears, Thomas was a sturdy pioneer. On June 12, 1806, he married Nancy Hanks. The Hanks genealogy is difficult to trace, but Nancy appears to have been of illegitimate birth. She has been described as “stoop-shouldered, thin-breasted, sad,” and fervently religious. Thomas and Nancy Lincoln had three children: Sarah, Abraham, and Thomas, who died in infancy."(source)
"Lincoln had less than a year of schooling. Books were scarce and so was paper. He worked his arithmetic problems on a board and cleaned the board with a knife so he could use it again.The family owned a Bible and he spent many hours reading it. He would copy parts of it in order to memorize it. Sometimes he would walk for miles to borrow a book. One of his favorite books was 'The Life of George Washington'.By the time he was 17, he knew he wanted to be a lawyer. He would walk 17 miles to the county courthouse in order to watch the lawyers work. He sat in the back of the courtroom and watched them as they shook their fists and became red in the face. Then he would go home and think about what he had seen."(source)
"The one term congressman who became president in 1861 was about to face the most difficult and agonizing choices any president has encountered. He was keenly aware of his responsibility. When he left his home in Springfield for Washington, D.C., Lincoln compared his own task to that of the country's first president calling it 'greater than that which rested upon Washington'"(source)
"As president, Lincoln had no one way of making the difficult decision that arose.He listened a great deal, often did not offer his opinion to those advising him, and took his time deciding. This often gave the appearance of indecision and weakness. In reality, Lincoln withstood a series of crisis that would shattered a weaker man. Others considered Lincoln stubborned tyrannical. But he met decisions with humility, courage, independence, and gentleness-if not always with success." (source)
On the night of April 14,1865 Mary and Abraham Lincoln attended a showing at Ford's Theater. During the show Lincoln had been shot in the back of the head. While he was unconscience, men had carried him across the street to the Peterson House and into the room of a war department clerk. Though doctors did all that they could, it was not enough. Lincoln died on April 15, 1865at 7:22 a.m.(source)
Book 1
Book 2
"Lincoln had less than a year of schooling. Books were scarce and so was paper. He worked his arithmetic problems on a board and cleaned the board with a knife so he could use it again.The family owned a Bible and he spent many hours reading it. He would copy parts of it in order to memorize it. Sometimes he would walk for miles to borrow a book. One of his favorite books was 'The Life of George Washington'.By the time he was 17, he knew he wanted to be a lawyer. He would walk 17 miles to the county courthouse in order to watch the lawyers work. He sat in the back of the courtroom and watched them as they shook their fists and became red in the face. Then he would go home and think about what he had seen."(source)
"The one term congressman who became president in 1861 was about to face the most difficult and agonizing choices any president has encountered. He was keenly aware of his responsibility. When he left his home in Springfield for Washington, D.C., Lincoln compared his own task to that of the country's first president calling it 'greater than that which rested upon Washington'"(source)
"As president, Lincoln had no one way of making the difficult decision that arose.He listened a great deal, often did not offer his opinion to those advising him, and took his time deciding. This often gave the appearance of indecision and weakness. In reality, Lincoln withstood a series of crisis that would shattered a weaker man. Others considered Lincoln stubborned tyrannical. But he met decisions with humility, courage, independence, and gentleness-if not always with success." (source)
"In February 1860, Lincoln made his first major political appearance in the Northeast when he addressed a rally at the Cooper Union in New York. He was now sufficiently well known to be a presidential candidate. At the Republican national convention in Chicago in May, William H. Seward was the leading candidate. Seward, however, had qualities that made him undesirable in the critical states the Republicans had lost in 1856: Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, and New Jersey. As a result Lincoln won the nomination by being the second choice of the majority. By the time of Lincoln's inauguration in March 1861, seven states had seceded from the Union. His conciliatory inaugural address had no effect on the South, and, against the advice of a majority of his cabinet, Lincoln decided to send provisions to Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor. The fort was a symbol of federal authority--conspicuous in the state that had led secession, South Carolina--and it would soon have had to be evacuated for lack of supplies. On Apr. 12, 1861, South Carolina fired on the fort, and the Civil War began."(source1, source2)
On the night of April 14,1865 Mary and Abraham Lincoln attended a showing at Ford's Theater. During the show Lincoln had been shot in the back of the head. While he was unconscience, men had carried him across the street to the Peterson House and into the room of a war department clerk. Though doctors did all that they could, it was not enough. Lincoln died on April 15, 1865at 7:22 a.m.(source)
Book 1
Book 2
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