Was it just me, or did you all think Ulysses Simpson Grant was probably the coolest, don't F with me, manly man of a president? I mean he ENDED THE CIVIL WAR! Well, I guess Lincoln gets a teensy tinsy bit of the credit, but you know what I mean. Dude put Appomattox Courthouse on the map, and trust me, I've been there, it wouldn't otherwise be on a map.
But, as I read about Ulysses Simpson Grant, I discovered he wasn't a manly man, he wasn't a great military strategist, he didn't have many friends, his family didn't even like him (his parents, Julia and the kids were quite found of him), and he made a pretty terrible president. Such a let down.
Before I get started on the toy timeline, Asa is in the office today, and so Peyton was on picture duty. He doesn't tkae them nearly as much, so there's a bit missing in pictures here. But, he did a good job, so thanks Peyton! Our regular photographer will be back tomorrow for James Monroe, though.
Another shocking discover about Ulysses Simpson Grant, that wasn't even his name. Hiram Ulysses Grant was born in Ohio to Jesse & Hannah Grant. We're using the redheads here, because Hiram was part of the redhead club (with TJ! and GW! to name a few). He was also part of the log cabin club (remember there's 7 of them, but we just talked about that, so of course you remember!) Anyway, Jesse was a tanner (he treated animal skins to make them into leather. Hannah was a pretty detached mom, and his father didn't particularily care of him either.
Hiram had six brothers and sisters, and he wasn't especially got at anything that would lead you to believe he'd end up a Civil War hero, and president of the United States. He was average at best. His only talent was riding horses. He could break any horse, and even rode trick ponies when the circus came to town. But, beyond that he wasn't a good student, he wasn't athletic, he didn't have any friends, instead he loved to wander outdoors and talk to animals. In his view, animals were better than people. (I mean, sometimes, they are.) He didn't hunt because of his love for animals, and because he was squeamish. Yes, General Grant, his own life hated the sight of blood. In fact he was so obsessive about it, he charred any meat he ate.
Somehow, with his mediocre grades, and a help from some Congressman Jesse knew, Ulysses got into West Point. Although, that congressman got Hiram's name wrong on the application. Instead, he listed Hiram as Ulysses S. Grant, with the S standing for Hannah's maiden name, Simpson. Hiram, a soft spoken, shy and reserved guy showed up and went with it. After all, it was better than being called "Little Beauty" a nickname given to him because he was small slender, rosy checked, with a face like a little girl. (Historians call him soft and feminine). His light, girly voice startled people who thought he'd have a more commanding voice. Poor, scrawny, 5 foot 1 inch, 115 pound Ulysses.
Anyway, he would always contend the S. didn't stand for anything. It wasn't all bad, his initials went from H.U.G (which he hated), to U.S. Grant. Thanks to Uncle Sam, his friends called him Sam. (Later people would say the U.S. stood for unconditional surrender, so it worked out for him).
Oh, and friends! Sam had friends at West Point. Pictured are his buddies Pete, Rufus, and Fredrick.
Now Sam still wasn't all that good at anything (except horses! he was a star for the equestrian club!), his grades weren't fabulous and he constantly got demerits for being late and dressing sloppy. Grant wasn't thrilled to be at the military academy, he didn't even want to go at first, but he figured it'd be a good way to go to college, and as soon as his mandatory service was over, he'd go on to teach or something. He said when he graduated, it was one of the happiest times of his life. (He also is one of only three presidents to graduate from a military academy- joining him ar Eisenhower & Carter)
After graduation he reported a base in Missouri with Pete and Rufus. His buddy Fredrick lived nearby, so they would hang out.
As it turns out Fredrick had a sister, Julia. And Julia wasn't particularly a looker. She was short, stocky, and had cross eyes. But, what she lacked for in appearance, she made up for in personality. Julia was well educated, charming, cheerful, loved by people, and she adored being the center of attention. Sam was taken with her, and the two eventually got engaged. But, Sam wasn't exactly a catch. He was sloppy, and poor, and Julia's dad wasn't thrilled at the prospect of the two getting married, so they hid their engagement for awhile.
Around this time we have the Mexican War. Polk was president (so you'll hear more about it in November), but basically there was the whole Texas boarder argument with Mexico. Tensions were rising, so Grants unit was sent to Louisiana.
And Grants commanding officer was another guy you might have heard of, Zachary Taylor (who coincidentally also has his birthday in November).
Quick spoiler alert here, Taylor's and his troops were sent into Texas, and they kicked butt. Zachary Taylor was gaining popularity, and Polk didn't like it. So, he split Taylor's army, and Grant got a new commanding officer. This isn't so much important who his new general was (sorry Winfield Scott), but it is important who that General had as cheif of staff, a little guy you may have heard of by the name of Robert E. Lee. This wouldn't be the last time Lee & Grant crossed paths, obviously.
Now, around this time Julia has a dream in which Sam has a beard. So, he grows one and surprises her when he comes home. He would have it the rest of his life. (Plus it helped make him look a little more manly!)
He missed Julia terribly, and when he came home from the war, they told her dad and got married. They went on to have four kids, Fredrick, Ulysses Jr., Nellie, and Jessie. Three boys and one girl, and he might not have been good at much, but he was good at being a dad. His kids loved him, and Julia would always stay beside him. Even though things weren't always too great for them.
But, Sam still had obligations, and he got sent out West. Being away from the family, he started drinking, excessively. (A habit that would continue throughout his life). Eventually a drunk Sam pissed off a commanding officer who told Sam it was time to resign, and they wouldn't note the incident.
So at 32 years old, Sam was back in Missiouri with no real direction in life. He was broke, with no way to support his family. Sam went on to manage some farms, collect bills, and take jobs from his friends just to make enough money to house and feed his family. But, Sam wasn't good at anything, and he failed at everything he tried to do. At one point he ended up selling firewood on the street corner.
And eventually he did what any guy in his 30s never wants to have to do, he moved home and took a job he hated, working for his father. He was miserable, and Julia hated their shack they had to live in. It's worth noting that at one point Sam was given one slave, and he could have sold the slave for a ton of cash, but instead he set the slave free believing it was the right thing to do.
And then the best thing that could happen, happened. At least for Sam. The Civil War broke out!
You know, Jefferson Davis, Fort Sumter and all.
Julia and the kids moved to New Jersey to be safe, and Sam enlisted for the Union.
He started out in the Illinois Militia. Now here's the thing. He wasn't a brilliant military strategist. He never so much as picked up a book on strategy. No, he just worked on a deep natural an impossible to quantify instinct for war. He had an unteachable skill that combined instinct for practicality, and total ruthlessness. He based his decisions on the battlefield by being one step ahead of the other guy. He was surviving by fighting every single say and every single night. And he was doing it all while being drunk.
Nothing could really stop Sam from drinking, not even the soldier he hired to make sure he didn't drink too much. Yes, he appointed a solider to keep him from drinking too much, but even that didn't work. Drunk and smoking an obscene amount of cigars, Sam had finally found something he was good at: war. But Sam wasn't the only guy good at war, as he was moving up the ranks so was Robert E. Lee and his buddy Pete. But, they were fighting for the Confederacy. That's what happened during the Civil War, friends fought friends.
Sam was the type of guy who shuldn't have made it through so many battles. He was going against generals who were more experienced than him. He was having his horse shot out from under him, and his sword shot out of his hand. But, he was still there. Drinking Whiskey and smoking cigars.
Oh, and his horse was named Jeff Davis, which for some reason, I just love.
Sam had his first major victory at Fort Donelson in TN. Here he became known as Unconditional Surrender Grant. When northerners discovered he had been smoking a cigar WHILE fighting the battle, they sent him as many as 10,000 boxes of cigars to help guarantee future victories. (Sam smoked as many as 20 cigars a day, and he didn't just smoke them, he ATE them!)
But not every battle went Sam's way. At Shiloh (also in TN) Grant lost one of the bloodiest battles to date. People now demanded President Lincoln to remove Grant. But, Lincoln said "I cannot spare him- he fights".
Sam redeemed himself in Missippi with a win at Vicksburg, which split the south's forces in two and gave the Union considerable momentum. By now it was common knowledge Grant was drunk when he was fighting these battles. Lincoln didn't seem to mind though. He just said "then find out what kind of whiskey he drinks and send a barrel to my other generals!" That's a great big 1800's version of 'he's a loose cannon, but dang it, he gets results!'
Sam had his share of losses, but he became a war hero. People loved him, and Lincoln made him General-In-Cheif of the entire Union Army. As we all know, he cornered Robert E. Lee and his starving, broken soldiers, and on April 9, 1865 Lee told Grant he was prepared to surrender.
They met at the McLean House in the TOWN of Appomattox Court house. Grant was muddy and disheveled looking. Lee was dressed to the nines with his sword at his belt. They talked about the Mexican War, and then got to the very lenient terms of surrender. (The Union would take the Confederate's guns, but they could keep their horses. The Union would then feed them and send them on their way.) Lee asked Grant to write down the terms of surrender, so Grant ripped out a page from his notebook and wrote them down.
Then the two men got up and shook hands. Sam didn't even ask Lee for his sword, customary in surrenders, because he thought it would be humiliating for Lee.
And when the two mean stepped out on the front porch, there was Pete. Sam was happy to see his old friend. The war was over and Washington rejoiced.
A few days later, Sam was back in D.C. He was being hailed a hero, and he was quite uncomfortable with all the attention he was getting. After a cabinet meeting with Lincoln, Sam went back to his hotel and told Julia the president had invited him to see Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater. But, Julia was not a Mary Todd Lincoln, and told Sam to decline the invitation. Julia said they could catch the train tonight, and tell the Lincoln's they just wanted to get home to New Jersey to their kids.
As the Grants were leaving town, they noticed a strange man following them on horseback. Julia would later identify this man as John Wilks Booth. We all know what happened that night at Ford's Theater. As soon as word reached Grant about Lincoln, the stabbing of Secretary of State Seward, and the failed attempt on Vice-President Johnson's life, Sam headed back to Washington.
He wept openly at Lincoln's funeral. He felt guilty, thinking if he had been there, maybe he could have done something. And to make matters worse, Andrew Johnson was president. (You'll have to wait until December to hear about that mess though).
It wasn't a hard sell for Ulysses S. Grant to be elected four years later. He had helped with the Reconstruction efforts, he was a war hero, his popularity was off the charts. And so our 18th President was sworn in. His parents were still alive, the first time a president had both parents living at the time of the inauguration, but neither of them attended, or even ever visited their son at the White House (I told you they weren't fond of their kid).
He was much like Lincoln in that he wanted peace during the Reconstruction. He wasn't out to punish the south. But Sam had no idea how to be president. He had zero political experience. So he hired all his friends to help him. It was clear he was out of his depth in all of Washington.
Julia, meanwhile, was totally in her element. Nobody would love being First Lady more than Julia. After the poverty, the separations, and the battles they had fought during their marriage, this was a very welcomed change (In fact, when Sam didn't run for a third term, nobody was more upset than Julia. She left the White House for the last time sobbing.)
Grant passed the 15th Amendment : Giving African Americans the right to vote.
He created the Department of Justice, and the National Weather Service...
... And our National Park System (Yellowstone was the very first one).
He was re-elected four years later. But, it was still pretty obvious he had no idea what he was doing. He was rolling into work at 10am, he was being caught speeding in his horse carriage and had to pay a ticket, and he was still drinking and smoking. Being president was just one more think Sam Grant wasn't very good at.
You see, all those friends he hired were lying, cheating crooks and Sam, though honest to a fault and never directly involved in any of the scandals, and corruption, would have his reputation effected.
I won't get into the details, you can google it if you want, but there was Black Friday, a Transcontinental Railroad scandal, and the Whiskey Ring Scandal. It was just one scandal after another for Grant. If you don't know how to be president, you should probably not surround youself with people who will take advantage of that fact.
At the end of eight years, the Hayes's moved in and the Grant's moved out. They traveled the world, visited the Queen of England, the Emperor in Japan, and the Pope in the Vatican. They had the best time. But, when they got back, Grant lost all his money to a shady investment partner (he still hadn't learned his lesson in trusting the right people!), and Sam and Julia were broke once again. To make matters worse all that drinking and smoking and eating cigars had caught up to Sam. He was terminally ill with throat cancer.
Mark Twain (yes, that Mark Twain) approached Sam about writing his memories, and hoping his writing would make enough money for Julia once he was gone, he worked fast and hard to complete it before he died. He finished just two days before he died, and that money did help Julia. It's one of the best presidential memories, if not THE best. (So I guess Sam found his calling when it was a little too late, he should have been a writer!) Julia ended up with nearly half a million dollars from the memories. And Sam was buried at the largest mausoleum in North America, in New York City.
Oh, and those Grant kids? Well, they all lived to a ripe old age, a rarity for presidential children back in the day.
Fredrick worked under both William McKinley and Benjamin Harrison.
Ulysses Jr. became a well known lawyer, Nellie went on to get married and have kids (she's actually buried in the same cemetery as Lincoln oddly enough.)
And Jesse, well, he tried to run for president once. But, he lost in the primaries to one, William Jennings Bryan.
Grant's legacy certainly lies in the Civil War, not in his presidency. One of our strongest generals was one of our weakest presidents. But, he is honored on the $50 bill. Oh, and that statue of a man on his horse out in the reflecting pool at the Capital Building, well, that's Sam. (And, I'd like to think it's Jeff Davis, too).
The notebook page from Appomattox is full of all things Sam Grant
Of course we had owl mail this morning, all things Grant
We watched our president in 60 seconds...
And.. We did make our usual birthday cards.
Had we not just done the pony express activity a few days ago, I would have done something like that today. Instead, we used his love for nature and the fact he created our National Park System and made some bird feeders.
I didn't take too many pictures along the way, but you mix some water and gelatin, add some birdseed, and then press the mixture in some cookie cutters on wax paper with a string to hang them.
We have to let them dry overnight, so I'll let you know how they turn out.
Our hashtag today is courtesy of Asa. He might have missed most of the birthday festivities, but he really came through on this one. @TheRealAbe There you go, you got your country back #WishGRANTed
Sam was a fan of meat and potatoes, roast specifically, and with Asa gone it was easy to pull out the slow cooker and throw that it. He also liked hominy, but I just went with corn. Oh, and he liked wheat bread, which he would ball up and throw at his kids at the dinner table. A practice I could get on board with, you know, for Sam. So fun.
He also had cucumbers soaked in vinegar every morning in breakfast, so we gave that a go. Or, Asa and I did. Just an FYI, not great. Maybe all that drinking and cigar smoking messed with his taste buds.
And his favorite desert was rice pudding. I gave that a try in my small slower cooker. It was ok, it tasted a lot like oatmeal actually.
Oh, and remember our trip to Appomattox last year? Apparently we were there a year ago tomorrow. We missed being there on Grant's birthday by ONE DAY!
That's it from here, we're settling in for the weekend. I'm ready for it! It was a busy, busy day around here, but one of those that makes me feel like a total awesome mom. I killed it. Anyway, we have another birthday tomorrow, and then some fun plans and the draft! Whooo!
Next Up: James Monroe's birthday!
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