| * Ulysses S. Grant was born on April 27, 1822 at | | | | citizen. Parker graduated from Rensselaer as an |
| Point Pleasant, Ohio. Point Pleasant is a community | | | | engineer. In 1857, Ely Parker was working in |
| east of Cincinnati on the Ohio River. Grant's father | | | | Galena, Illinois where he became a friend of a |
| Jesse, was a tanner. | | | | store clerk named Sam Grant. Sam Grant, was |
| * When Grant arrived at West Point he found his | | | | Ulysses S. Grant and during the Civil War Ely |
| appointment was in the name of Ulysses S. Grant. | | | | Parker became General Ulysses S. Grant's military |
| Grant's parents named him Hiram Ulysses Grant. | | | | secretary. Ely Parker's penmanship was |
| Grant never bothered to change the clerical error | | | | exceptional. When Lee surrendered to Grant at |
| and was known as Ulysses S. Grant. During the | | | | Appomattox Court House, Ely Parker transcribed |
| Civil War, Grant was given the nickname | | | | the official copies of the surrender documents. |
| "Unconditional Surrender Grant" after Confederate | | | | * Ulysses S. Grant never swore. His explanation |
| Simon Boliver Buckner surrendered Fort Donelson | | | | for this: |
| to him. Grant was also often called Sam Grant. | | | | Well, somehow or another, I never learned to |
| * While a cadet at West Point, Ulysses S. Grant | | | | swear, when a boy I seemed to have an |
| was known as an exceptional horseman. Grant did | | | | aversion to it, and when I became a man I saw |
| not stand out as having exceptional talents in | | | | the folly of it. I have always noticed, too, that |
| anything else while at West Point. | | | | swearing helps to rouse a man's anger; and when |
| * Ulysses S. Grant wanted a commission in the | | | | a man flies into a passion his adversary who |
| cavalry when he finished at West Point. Instead, | | | | keeps cool always gets the better of him. In fact, |
| Grant wound up in the infantry because the | | | | I could never see the use of swearing. I think it is |
| cavalry had no vacancies. Grant was a horseman, | | | | the case with many people who swear |
| and this assignment to the infantry must have | | | | excessively that it is mere habit, and that they do |
| been a disappointment for him. | | | | not mean to be profane; but, to say the least, it |
| * Ulysses S. Grant served with generals Zachary | | | | is a great waste of time. |
| Taylor and Winfield Scott during the Mexican War. | | | | * On April 14, 1865 Abraham Lincoln's day was |
| * After the Mexican War, Ulysses S. Grant was | | | | spent visiting with callers and attending a Cabinet |
| stationed in California. He was without his wife and | | | | meeting which included General Grant. Lincoln |
| children, and very bored. Grant took to excessive | | | | explained to General Grant that he was having a |
| drinking. He resigned his commission in 1854 and | | | | recurring dream about a ship "moving with great |
| his resignation was accepted by the United States | | | | rapidity toward a dark and indefinite shore." Now |
| Secretary of War. The Secretary of War | | | | that the Civil War was over, topics of discussion |
| accepting Grant's resignation from the United | | | | during the Cabinet meeting included the problems |
| States Army was Jefferson Davis. Davis was the | | | | of reconstruction, and the treatment of |
| future president of the Confederate States of | | | | Confederate leaders. That evening, the Lincolns |
| America. | | | | planned to see a play at Ford's Theater called |
| * Grant's favorite horse during the Civil War was | | | | "Our American Cousin." Lincoln invited Grant and |
| Cincinnati. An admirer gave Cincinnati to Grant | | | | his wife Julia, to attend the play, but Grant |
| after the battle of Chattanooga. Cincinnati was | | | | declined the president's invitation. While enjoying |
| seldom ridden by anyone other than Grant. One | | | | the play at Ford's Theater Lincoln was shot by |
| notable exception being President Abraham | | | | assassin John Wilkes Booth. |
| Lincoln, when Lincoln last visited City Point, Virginia | | | | * After the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant became |
| to meet with Grant. | | | | an author, Secretary of War under President |
| * Other horses Grant had in the Civil War were; | | | | Johnson, and in 1868 became President of the |
| Jack, Fox, and Kangaroo. Kangaroo was left on | | | | United States. Grant served two terms as |
| the Shiloh battlefield by the Confederates. This | | | | president. |
| horse was described as ugly and raw-boned. | | | | * Ulysses S. Grant finished his two-volume |
| Grant however, having an eye for horses, knew | | | | autobiography, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, |
| Kangaroo was a thoroughbred. After becoming a | | | | only days before he died of throat cancer in 1885. |
| Yankee horse, Kangaroo got rest and care and | | | | Grant's memoirs were published by Mark Twain's |
| he became a fine horse. | | | | firm and 300,000 copies were sold. These sales |
| * Ely Samuel Parker was a Seneca Indian, a son | | | | earned $450,000 for Grant's widow, Julia. Grant's |
| of a famous Seneca chief, and also a Union | | | | autobiography is thought to be one of the best |
| officer. He first studied law but was refused | | | | autobiographies written in the English language. |
| admission to the bar because he was not a | | | | |