Fact 2 Under Grant, the Union Army beat the Confederate military and it ended with the forfeit of Robert E. Lee's army. It was hard smelly work but he made a good living at it. It was also a massive bestseller. Grant … “It was my fortune, or misfortune, to be called to the office of Chief Executive without any previous political training,” he wrote in his final message to Congress. His name was picked out of a hat Hiram Ulysses Grant was stuck with the name Ulysses S. Grant due to a mistake by... 2. #1: The “S” in Grant’s name didn’t stand for anything. Ulysses S. Grant grew to national fame because of the work that he did as a general during the Civil War. Mary Anna Custis was also Martha Washington’s great-granddaughter. How Did the Battle of Aachen Unfold and Why Was It Significant? The “S” in Grant’s name didn’t stand for anything.. Here’s a quick list of 10 interesting Grant facts that put his career in perspective. Ulysses S. Grant attended West Point Military Academy between 1839 and 1843. The name “Ulysses” was the victor drawn from ballots in a hat. The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant hit stores later the year, and was immediately hailed by Twain and others as a literary masterpiece. Ulysses S. Grant Fact 1: Ulysses S. Grant was born on April 27th 1822 and during the 19th century period in history when slavery would largely become abolished during this century with salve revolts in Britain, Haiti and France. Grant struggled to secure a field command at the outbreak of the Civil War, but was later placed in charge of a regiment of Illinois volunteers and quickly promoted to the rank of brigadier general. Why Was the Battle of Verdun so Significant. Their first stop in England was Liverpool, which would one day become famous for a singing group called the Beatles. After a year he freed him, for no recompense even though Grant was in dire financial straits.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'historyhit_com-leader-1','ezslot_16',162,'0','0'])); Coming from an abolitionist family, his father didn’t approve of Grant’s slave owning in-laws. Commonplace Fun Facts a collection of trivia, fun facts, humor, and interesting notions. Grant was a compassionate man Ulysses S. Grant Facts Ulysses S. Grant was the 18 th President of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. During the Civil War his views evolved, and in his Memoirs he stated: “As time passes, people, even of the South, will begin to wonder how it was possible that their ancestors ever fought for or justified institutions which acknowledged the right of property in man.”. His middle name was "Ulysses" and he admitted that the "S" in his name stood for nothing. In his Memoirs he mentions that by the time he was eleven, he was doing all the work on his father’s farm that required horses. As Commanding General of the United States, he accepted Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9 1865. Ulysses wasn’t his real first name. The memoirs were sold for $500,000 by the family after he died. Turning Retreat into Victory: How Did the Allies Win the Western Front in 1918? “I urged them to ascertain and let me know,” Lincoln later said, “for if it made fighting generals like Grant, I should like to get some of it for distribution.”, Grant received numerous demerits for his unkempt uniforms during his days at West Point, and his distaste for military dress continued even after he assumed supreme command of the Union Army during the Civil War. This interest continued in West Point, where he even set a high jump record.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'historyhit_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_15',143,'0','0'])); During his time at West Point, he studied under the Professor of Drawing, Robert Weir. #3: Grant won the first major Union victory of the Civil War. Grant’s own views on slavery were more complex. However he also wrote of military life that: “there is much to dislike, but more to like”.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'historyhit_com-box-4','ezslot_3',160,'0','0'])); He eventually stayed on after four years, in part to support his wife and family. Grant took Twain up on his offer, and later finished the book just a few days before succumbing to cancer in July 1885. Ulysses S Grant was born 27 April 1822 in Ohio.Grant’s father Jesse Grant worked as a tanner. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Hiram Ulysses Grant was born on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. Military, Home Life, and Scandals of the 18th American President 01. Grant himself said that he liked painting and drawing whilst at West Point. Ulysses S. Grant, original name Hiram Ulysses Grant, (born April 27, 1822, Point Pleasant, Ohio, U.S.—died July 23, 1885, Mount McGregor, New York), U.S. general, commander of the Union armies during the late years (1864–65) of the American Civil War, and 18th president of the United States (1869–77). Grant would later try his hand at business a second time after he left the White House, with equally disastrous results. A new online only channel for history lovers. The name “Ulysses” was the victor drawn... 2. After graduating, he fought in the Mexican-American War as a Lieutenant. Interesting Ulysses S. Grant facts: Ulysses Grant and his wife took a world tour about two months after he left office. One observer who saw Grant during the war described him as an “ordinary, scrubby-looking man, with a slightly seedy look, as if he was out of office on half-pay.”. The first display of his trademark aggressive style came in February 1862, when he forced the capitulation of some 15,000 Confederates at Tennessee’s Fort Donelson. Hiram Ulysses Grant was born near Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1822. Trivia Fun Facts & Interesting Information In 1865, Grant became the first 4-star general. “Under such circumstances, it is but reasonable to suppose that errors of judgment must have occurred.”. Before his presidency, Grant led the Union Army as Commanding General of the United States Army in winning the American Civil War. He was the oldest of six children born to Jesse and Hannah Grant. He’d never held any elected position, and had shown little interest in running for office before the Republican Party nominated him as its candidate. Whe… “No terms except complete and unconditional surrender can be accepted,” he famously warned the garrison’s commander. A financial firm he started with his son and a man named Ferdinand Ward went belly up after Ward fleeced its investors, and by 1884, Grant was bankrupt. Initially more ambivalent he wrote in 1863: “I never was an abolitionist, not even what could be called anti-slavery…”. When a group of congressmen once alleged that Grant was a drunk, the President supposedly responded by asking what kind of whiskey the General preferred. A quiz on Civil War hero and the 18th president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant (Author AdmiralShark) ... Quick Fun Facts & Interesting Information. As the story goes, when Robert E. Lee surrendered to officially end the Civil War, Grant allowed the Confederate soldiers to keep their weapons and their horses so they could just go home. He wouldn’t whip them. Ulysses S Grant was the 18th President of the United States if America and was also commander of Union forces during the American Civil War.. 10 fascinating facts about President Ulysses Grant 1. If you called him Ulysses S. Grant during his youth, he wouldn’t... 2. After spending a decade in the army and serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War, Grant resigned his post in 1854 and spent the next seven years flopping as a farmer, real estate agent and rent collector. During the American Civil War, Grant rose through the ranks to become General-in-chief of all the Union Armies. There are no reported occurrences of him drinking inappropriately during his presidency and world tour, and scholars generally agree that he never made any major decisions whilst drunk. When he accepted the surrender of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia in April 1865, Grant offered generous terms that paroled Confederate soldiers and officers and allowed them to return to their homes. When Grant tried to correct the mistake, he was told that he could either accept the changed name, or return again next year. Ulysses had five siblings. EXPLORE: Ulysses S. Grant: An Interactive Map of His Key Civil War Battles, Grant’s taste for strong drink first became problematic in the early 1850s, when he was reportedly forced to resign from the army for being caught drunk on duty. It is true that he resigned from the army in 1854, and Grant himself said that: “intemperance” was a cause.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'historyhit_com-banner-1','ezslot_14',161,'0','0'])); During the Civil War newspapers often reported on his drinking, though the reliability of these sources is unknown. Both in contemporary and modern media, Grant has been stereotyped as a drunkard. Grant died of throat cancer in 1885, probably as a result of smoking several cigars a day for much of his life. 1. Grant believed leniency was critical to achieving a lasting peace, and he was furious when a federal grand jury later negated the terms of his agreement and charged Lee and several other Confederate generals with treason. Despite being a potential target himself, he was convinced he would have somehow stopped John Wilkes Booth from pulling the trigger. Ulysses S. Grant died of throat cancer at the age of 63 on July 23rd, 1885 in Wilton, New York, USA. How Emperor Hadrian Became Rome’s ‘Absent Ruler’. e Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American soldier and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. One of the most influential Americans of the 19th century, Grant led the Union Army to victory during the Civil War and later helped steer the nation through Reconstruction during two terms as president. Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) achieved fame for his generalship in the Civil War and his presidency afterwards. Nothing could be further from the truth. His father Jesse Grant (1794-1873) a tanner by profession and his mother Hannah Simpson Grant (1798-1883) were both natives of Pennsylvania. During a subsequent meeting with President Andrew Johnson, he stated his intention to “resign the command of the army rather than execute any order to arrest Lee or any of his commanders so long as they obey the law.” Unwilling to lose Grant’s support, Johnson reluctantly dropped the case. Ulysses S. Grant was entrusted with the command of all U.S. armies in 1864 and relentlessly pursued the enemy during the Civil War. His ancestors travelled to the Massachusetts … Jesse Grant was a tanner. 5 Bye-Bye Birdie (Ulysses Grant) After winning reelection in 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant figured canaries would add a festive touch to his second inauguration. Given such amazing achievements, you'd think he was born into a well-connected family or was a genius of some sort. Here are some interesting facts about Ulysses S. Grant: Ulysses S Grant was one of the three presidents who graduated from West Point Military Academy. Reportedly sad at the end of a “foe who had fought so long and valiantly”, he granted generous terms to Lee and the Confederates and stopped celebrations amongst his men.eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'historyhit_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_11',163,'0','0'])); “The Confederates were now our countrymen, and we did not want to exult over their downfall”. It was only after the posthumous publication of his memoirs that his fortune was restored. In 1871, he also oversaw passage of the so-called “Ku Klux Klan Act,” which armed him with the power to declare martial law and suspend habeas corpus in areas deemed to be in a state of insurrection. His phantom middle initial is the result of an error from Ohio Congressman Thomas Hamer, who accidentally wrote the future general’s name as “Ulysses S. Grant” when he nominated him to attend West Point. On his recommendation to the United States Military Academy at West Point, Congressman Thomas Hamer wrote “Ulysses S. Grant”, thinking that Ulysses was his first name, and Simpson (his mother’s maiden name) was his middle name. Grant was an average student at West Point. How about we learn about Grant's ea… “Find some name beginning with “S” for me,” he joked in an 1844 letter to his future wife, Julia Dent. History Hit brings you the stories that shaped the world through our award winning podcast network and an online history channel. He wrote to his wife swearing that he had been sober when allegations arose of him being drunk during the Battle of Shiloh. Before the war ended, Grant would accept the surrender of two more rebel armies at Vicksburg, Mississippi and Appomattox Court House, Virginia. He has a varied legacy, with a huge surge in unpopularity during the early 20th century, and attempts at rehabilitation during the twenty-first.eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'historyhit_com-box-3','ezslot_5',142,'0','0'])); He lived through one of the greatest American crises, and some credit his presidency with helping to reconcile America after the Civil War. Some even maligned his military prowess, rendering him an uninspired “butcher”. Full Name: Hiram Ulysses Grant. All Rights Reserved. His time in charge of the Union Army notwithstanding, Grant was a political novice when he was inaugurated as the 18th president in 1869. Standing for the Republic party with a platform of equal civil rights for all and African-American enfranchisement, his campaign slogan was: “Let us have peace”. However, during his lifetime he remained popular, seen as a national hero. Three of Grant’s horses during the Overland Campaign (Cold Harbor, Virginia),... 3. Grant first began compiling his memoirs in the mid-1880s, after he wrote a series of popular articles about his Civil War experiences. The future general and president was born Hiram Ulysses Grant in Point Pleasant, Ohio. He swore off alcohol for most of the next decade, only to fall off the wagon during the Civil War. George Washington had previously became a 3-star general. READ MORE: 10 Things You May Not Know About the Lincoln Assassination. Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States 1. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio, to Hannah Grant and Jesse Root Grant. Even when working on his father-in-law’s farm and owning William, it was said: “He couldn’t force them to do anything. Grant later described Lincoln’s death as the “darkest day of my life,” and bitterly regretted not having been at his side. 4. It is likely that he did indeed have a problem, but managed it enough that it did not affect his duties. They wouldn’t resurface in force until the 1910s. eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'historyhit_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_6',144,'0','0'])); During his time living with his father-in-law’s family, who were slave owners, Grant came into possession of a man named William Jones. He even permitted the men to keep their horses and mules for use as farm animals. Grant married his West Point roommate's sister, Julia Boggs Dent, on … But he wasn't just a general. Grant was invited to join Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre on the fateful evening of April 14, 1865, but was forced to decline after he and his wife made plans to visit their children in New Jersey. Grant led a charge at the Battle of Resaca de la Palma during the Mexican-American War. Ulysses S. Grant is not his real name What Were the Causes and Consequences of Hitler’s Failed 1923 Munich Putsch? There is still more fun facts to be shared!!!!! The History of the America’s First Commercial Railroad. #4: He Struggled through alcohol throughout in life. Ulysses S. Grant's real name is Hiram Ulysses Grant. Encouraged by his successor President Hayes to act in an unofficial diplomatic capacity, he was involved in resolving some international disputes. He was especially gifted with horses Indeed he later wrote a letter to a friend saying that leaving both the Academy and the presidency were amongst the best days of his life. He led the Union to victory over the Confederacy. Ulysses S Grant attended West Point but was not impressive as a student. Fact 3 As president Ulysses S. Grant commanded the Radical Republicans in their effort to abolish all remnants of Confederate nationalism and slavery. Unlike many of his epaulet-wearing contemporaries, he rarely carried a sword and often took to the field clad in a civilian hat, mud-caked boots and an ordinary private’s coat with his rank stitched onto it. 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