The Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant

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The Personal Memoirs of
General U. S. Grant

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Complete
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Title: Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Complete
Author: Ulysses S. Grant
Release Date: June 1, 2004 [EBook #4367]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS
OF GENERAL GRANT ***

Produced by David Widger

PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF U. S. GRANT, complete
by U. S. Grant

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 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
VOLUME I.

CHAPTER I.
ANCESTRY--BIRTH--BOYHOOD.

CHAPTER II.
WEST POINT--GRADUATION.

CHAPTER III.
ARMY LIFE--CAUSES OF THE MEXICAN WAR--CAMP
SALUBRITY.

CHAPTER IV.
CORPUS CHRISTI--MEXICAN SMUGGLING--SPANISH RULE IN
MEXICO --SUPPLYING TRANSPORTATION.

CHAPTER V.
TRIP TO AUSTIN--PROMOTION TO FULL
SECOND-LIEUTENANT--ARMY OF OCCUPATION.

CHAPTER VI.
ADVANCE OF THE ARMY--CROSSING THE COLORADO--THE
RIO GRANDE.

CHAPTER VII.
THE MEXICAN WAR--THE BATTLE OF PALO ALTO--THE
BATTLE OF RESACA DE LA PALMA--ARMY OF
INVASION--GENERAL TAYLOR--MOVEMENT ON CAMARGO.

CHAPTER VIII.

ADVANCE ON MONTEREY--THE BLACK FORT--THE BATTLE
OF MONTEREY--SURRENDER OF THE CITY.

CHAPTER IX.
POLITICAL INTRIGUE--BUENA VISTA--MOVEMENT AGAINST
VERA CRUZ --SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF VERA CRUZ.

CHAPTER X.
MARCH TO JALAPA--BATTLE OF CERRO
GORDO--PEROTE--PUEBLA--SCOTT AND TAYLOR.

CHAPTER XI.
ADVANCE ON THE CITY OF MEXICO--BATTLE OF
CONTRERAS--ASSAULT AT CHURUBUSCO--NEGOTIATIONS
FOR PEACE--BATTLE OF MOLINO DEL REY --STORMING OF
CHAPULTEPEC--SAN COSME--EVACUATION OF THE
CITY--HALLS OF THE MONTEZUMAS.

CHAPTER XII.
PROMOTION TO FIRST LIEUTENANT--CAPTURE OF THE