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Considered one of the greatest generals of the Civil War and two-term President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant had a story to tell. Penniless and dying of throat cancer, Mark Twain convinced him to tell his story, and thus, the story of America during the War Between the States. Join us, for arguably, one of the greatest pieces of writing to emerge from the conflict, as one of the central players assesses his own actions and those around him on both sides.

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9781489591319

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"Ulysses S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio, the oldest child in the family. When he was a year old, the family moved to Georgetown, Ohio, where his father worked in the tanning business of John Brown's father. When he was nominated for admission to West Point, Congressman Thomas L. Hamer mistakenly wrote his name as Ulysses S. Grant, which he eventually adopted, although the ""S"" didn't actually stand for anything. Some historians believe that it came from his mother's maiden name Simpson. While at the military academy, his nickname became ""Sam"" for Uncle Sam. Grant was a poor student, but managed to graduate in 1843. During the Mexican-American War, he served under Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. In 1848, he married Julia Boggs Dent, sister of his West Point roommate. They had four children. A heavy drinker, Grant was forced to resign from the military in 1854 and take a job on a farm with no success. Inheriting a slave from Julia's father, Grant freed him, instead of selling him, even though the family was desperate for money. When Fort Sumter was attacked, effectively beginning the Civil War, Grant volunteered to recruit and train volunteers for the Union Army. He worked his way back into the military, but due to heroism at Fort Donelson, he became known as Unconditional Surrender Grant and was finally put in command of the entire Federal Army. In 1865, Grant was able to force the surrender of Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the war. Five days later, he turned down an invitation from Lincoln to attend the theater, as he had plans to visit his family and Lincoln was assassinated. Joining with new President Andrew Johnson, Grant traveled the country, but Johnson began to see him as a rival and sent him South. He was elected President in 1868 and served two full terms. Although he was a popular official, others around him were found to be involved in scandals, which caused the party to not nominate him for a third term. Instead, he and Julia went on a two year world tour. Due to being swindled out of his remaining life savings, Grant was now bankrupt and forced to sell off his possessions. In 1884, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Mark Twain then convinced him to write and publish his memoirs. He finished writing them just days before his death on July 23, 1885, at the age of 63, in Wilton, New York. He is buried in New York City."

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