USELESS GRANT

    I'm reading the biographical accounts of the two Generals, Grant and Lee. Very surprising to find out that U.S. Grant was called "useless" by his own father. Grant was very good with horses and good at math, but otherwise failed in every endeavor to which he applied himself. His first name was Hiram, but his mother called him by his middle name, Ulyssys. He worked in his father's tannery until he was sent to West Point, which was a free academy. When he arrived, he was told no "Hyram Grant" was listed, only a U.S. Grant, so he from then on became U. S. Grant. He was called "United States Grant". He was a mediocre soldier as much the same when he was just a mediocre man. He served in the Army many years and lived in poverty and was not well thought of by most military officers. When he resigned, he had no job, a wife and a bunch of little kids and no means to support them. He tried investing what little money he did have in several businesses, and each endeaver failed miserably. He was very poverty stricken.
     When stirrings of war and rumors of Southern action came to his ears, he tried to reenlist in the Army and no one would have him. Since he had started drinking because of his failures and inability to support his family, he was looked upon with scorn by the officers who had either been his teacher at West Point, or under whom he had served, and all blocked his request to reenlist.
    Discouraged, he was looking for work when an urgent need was posted for soldiers and a militia in his area for the Union.. He was immediately accepted, but none of the other men in the newly formed regiment had ever been a soldier and knew nothing of military tactics, so Grant was made their leader, advancing in rank. He promptly paid back each creditor with his new Army pay. He showed himself to be a brilliant leader by use of his calmness in the heat of battle and his common sense. He reversed several panic-caused withdrawals by making the men think they were winning, and thus he won the battles and brought about surrender, more than once..
     Abe Lincoln personally took an interest in U.S. Grant because of the way he had won his battles. So when his detractors sent letters to the White House bringing unjust charges against Grant out of jealousy and spite, and since one of Abe's Generals (McCllellan, who designed the Army saddle) was sitting on his saddle planning and planning and planning, while around him the battle swarmed,  Abe shot back to the detractors: "Request denied.(to muster Grant out of the service): Abraham Lincoln then concluded: "He fights."
    When Grant had rallied his men and driven the Rebs back into their fort, he sent an emissary, who asked, "What are the conditions, sir?" Grant replied, "No conditions: Unconditional Surrender."
    Thus another nickname was born: First, Useless Grant, then "United States Grant" (at West Point) and now "Unconditonal Surrender" Grant. The men surrendured unconditonally.
    There's a lot about Lee, too, but I find the more interesting of the two men is Grant, who was never thought of as anything but a failure and a mediocre man. This last battle is as far as I've gotten.
     Incidently, this book condensation is in the Reader's Digest condensed books. Usually full of excellent stories of all kinds, autobiographies, fiction, romance, suspense, you name it, and not a one full of today's toilet-mouthed authors. A pleasure to read!
    Today's movies certainly don't require any writing skills when all the characters speech is a foul word every other word. Time is coming when some "brilliant" writer is gonna sit down and write nothing but filthy words repeatedly, no other dialogue, and I'll be you a dollar to a dime the ungodly will rush out and spend millions on it! Characters spouting nothing but sewage and more sewage....
     More coming soon on Dude Ranch Murders. Busy week, long days.