The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant

609 Pages·2004·2.11 MB·English

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Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
i
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Title: Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Complete
Author: Ulysses S. Grant
Release Date: June 1, 2004 [EBook No. 4367]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
Produced by David Widger
Produced in PDF Format by Chris Drane (
PREFACE
”Man proposes and God disposes.” There are but few important events in the
affairs of men brought about by their own choice.
Although frequently urged by friends to write my memoirs I had determined
never to do so, nor to write anything for publication. At the age of nearly sixty-
two I received an injury from a fall, which confined me closely to the house
while it did not apparently affect my general health. This made study a pleasant
pastime. Shortly after, the rascality of a business partner developed itself by the
announcement of a failure. This was followed soon after by universal depression
of all securities, which seemed to threaten the extinction of a good part of the
income still retained, and for which I am indebted to the kindly act of friends.
At this juncture the editor of the Century Magazine asked me to write a few
articles for him. I consented for the money it gave me; for at that moment I was
living upon borrowed money. The work I found congenial, and I determined to
continue it. The event is an important one for me, for good or evil; I hope for
the former.
In preparing these volumes for the public, I have entered upon the task with
the sincere desire to avoid doing injustice to any one, whether on the National
or Confederate side, other than the unavoidable injustice of not making mention
often where special mention is due. There must be many errors of omission in
this work, because the subject is too large to be treated of in two volumes in such
way as to do justice to all the officers and men engaged. There were thousands of
instances, during the rebellion, of individual, company, regimental and brigade
deeds of heroism which deserve special mention and are not here alluded to. The
troops engaged in them will have to look to the detailed reports of their individual
commanders for the full history of those deeds.
The first volume, as well as a portion of the second, was written before I had
reason to suppose I was in a critical condition of health. Later I was reduced
almost to the point of death, and it became impossible for me to attend to
anything for weeks. I have, however, somewhat regained my strength, and am
able, often, to devote as many hours a day as a person should devote to such
work. I would have more hope of satisfying the expectation of the public if I
could have allowed myself more time. I have used my best efforts, with the aid
of my eldest son, F. D. Grant, assisted by his brothers, to verify from the records
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PREFACE iii
every statement of fact given. The comments are my own, and show how I saw
the matters treated of whether others saw them in the same light or not.
With these remarks I present these volumes to the public, asking no favor but
hoping they will meet the approval of the reader.
U. S. GRANT.
MOUNT MACGREGOR, NEW YORK, July 1, 1885.
Contents
PREFACE ii
VOLUME I 1
1 ANCESTRY–BIRTH–BOYHOOD 2
2 WEST POINT–GRADUATION 9
3 ARMY LIFE 15
4 CORPUS CHRISTIE 22
5 TRIP TO AUSTIN 28
6 ADVANCE OF THE ARMY 33
7 THE MEXICAN WAR 37
8 ADVANCE ON MONTEREY 44
9 POLITICAL INTRIGUE 49
10 MARCH TO JALAPA 54
11 ADVANCE ON MEXICO CITY 59
12 PROMOTION 69
13 TREATY OF PEACE 75
14 RETURN OF THE ARMY 82
15 SAN FRANCISCO 86
16 RESIGNATION 91
iv
CONTENTS v
17 REBELLION 99
18 APPOINTED COLONEL 105
19 COMMISSIONED BRIGADIER-GENERAL 111
20 GENERAL FREMONT 118
21 GENERAL HALLECK 124
22 INVESTMENT OF FORT DONELSON 129
23 PROMOTED MAJOR-GENERAL 139
24 THE ARMY AT PITTSBURG LANDING 146
25 STRUCK BY A BULLET 156
26 HALLECK ASSUMES COMMAND 164
27 HEADQUARTERS MOVED TO MEMPHIS 170
28 ADVANCE OF VAN DORN AND PRICE 179
29 VAN DORN’S MOVEMENTS 183
30 THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST VICKSBURG 187
31 HEADQUARTERS MOVED TO HOLLY SPRINGS 195
32 THE BAYOUS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI 204
33 ATTACK ON GRAND GULF 212
34 CAPTURE OF PORT GIBSON 218
35 MOVEMENT AGAINST JACKSON 224
36 BATTLE OF BLACK RIVER BRIDGE 233
37 SIEGE OF VICKSBURG 238
38 JOHNSTON’S MOVEMENTS 244
39 RETROSPECT OF THE CAMPAIGN 255
VOLUME II 260
CONTENTS vi
40 FIRST MEETING WITH SECRETARY STANTON 262
41 ASSUMING THE COMMAND AT CHATTANOOGA 268
42 CONDITION OF THE ARMY 274
43 PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE 282
44 BATTLE OF CHATTANOOGA 288
45 THE RELIEF OF KNOXVILLE 295
46 OPERATIONS IN MISSISSIPPI 303
47 THE MILITARY SITUATION 311
48 COMMENCEMENT OF THE GRAND CAMPAIGN 319
49 SHERMAN’S CAMPAIGN IN GEORGIA 324
50 GRAND MOVEMENT OF THE ARMY 332
51 AFTER THE BATTLE 341
52 BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA 347
53 HANCOCK’S ASSAULT 352
54 MOVEMENT BY THE LEFT FLANK 358
55 ADVANCE ON COLD HARBOR 366
56 LEFT FLANK MOVEMENT 374
57 RAID ON THE VIRGINIA CENTRAL RAILROAD 383
58 SHERIDAN’S ADVANCE 394
59 THE CAMPAIGN IN GEORGIA 402
60 THE BATTLE OF FRANKLIN 417
61 EXPEDITION AGAINST FORT FISHER 420
62 SHERMAN’S MARCH NORTH 426
63 ARRIVAL OF THE PEACE COMMISSIONERS 436
CONTENTS vii
64 INTERVIEW WITH SHERIDAN 445
65 THE CAPTURE OF PETERSBURG 453
66 BATTLE OF SAILOR’S CREEK 460
67 NEGOTIATIONS AT APPOMATTOX 466
68 MORALE OF THE TWO ARMIES 474
69 SHERMAN AND JOHNSTON 481
70 THE END OF THE WAR 488
REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT,1864-65 501
FOOTNOTES 565
PROJECT GUTENBERG 593
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBURG LICENCE 594
VOLUME I
1