Letters of Ulysses S. Grant to His Father and His Youngest Sister

Letters of Ulysses S. Grant to His
Father and
by Ulysses S. Grant,
Edited by Jesse Grant

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Letters of Ulysses S. Grant to His Father
and
His Youngest Sister, 1857-78, by Ulysses S. Grant, Edited by Jesse
Grant Cramer
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Title: Letters of Ulysses S. Grant to His Father and His Youngest Sister,
1857-78
Author: Ulysses S. Grant
Release Date: September 15, 2004 [eBook #13471]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS
OF ULYSSES S. GRANT TO HIS FATHER AND HIS YOUNGEST
SISTER, 1857-78***

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LETTERS OF ULYSSES S. GRANT TO HIS FATHER AND HIS
YOUNGEST SISTER, 1857-78
Edited by his Nephew
JESSE GRANT CRAMER
With Portraits
1912

PREFACE
There has of late years been a tendency, as a result of the teachings of
certain historical authorities, to minimize the influence of the
leadership of the so-called Great Men, and to question the importance
of their work as a factor in shaping the history of the time. Great events
are referred to as brought about by such general influences as "the spirit
of the time" (Goethe's Zeitgeist), the "movement of humanity," or
"forces of society." If we accepted the theories of the writers of this
school, we should be forced to the conclusion that generations of men
move across the world's stage impelled by forces entirely outside of
themselves; and that as far as the opportunity of individual action is
concerned, that is for action initiated and completed under his own
will-power, man might almost as well be a squirrel working in a
revolving cage. The squirrel imagines that he moves the cylinder, but

the outsider knows that the movement is predetermined, and that there
is no change of position and no net result from the exertion.
A large number of people hold, notwithstanding, to the old-time feeling
expressed, and doubtless exaggerated and over-emphasized, in such
books as Carlyle's Hero Worship. They are unwilling, and in fact they
find it practically impossible, to get away from the belief that the
thought of the time is directed by the great thinkers, and that the action
of the community is influenced and largely shaped by the power,
whether this be utilized for good or for evil, of the great men of action.
In any case, men will continue to be interested in the personalities of
the leaders whose names are connected with the great events of history.
The citizens of each nation look back with legitimate pride upon the
patriotic work of those who have helped to found the state, or to
maintain its existence.
Among the national leaders whose names will always hold an
honorable place in American history is Ulysses S. Grant, the
simple-hearted man and capable soldier, to whose patriotism, courage,
persistence, and skill was so largely due the successful termination of
the war between the States, the contest which assured the foundations
of the Republic. We are interested not only in learning what this man
did, but in coming to know, as far as may be practicable, what manner
of man he was. It is all-important in a study of development of
character to have placed within reach the utterances of the man himself.
There is no utterance that can give as faithful a picture of a man's
method of thought and principle of action as the personal letter written,
with no thought of later publication, to those who are near to him.
The publishers deem themselves fortunate, therefore, in being able to
place before the fellow-citizens of General Grant who are appreciative
of the great service rendered by him to the country, and who are
interested also in the personality of the man, a series of letters written
to members of his family or to near friends. These letters, dating back
to the time of his youth, give a clear and trustworthy impression of the
nature of the man and of the development of character and of force that
made possible his all-valuable leadership.

The plan for the publication of these letters had received the cordial
approval of General Grant's son, the late General Frederick D. Grant,
and it is only because of his sudden death, which has brought sorrow
upon a great circle