44. Cadet Grant at West Point
By ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT (1838) The Romance of the Civil War | ||
44. Cadet Grant at West Point
By ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT (1838)
IN the winter of 1838-39 I was attending school at Ripley, only ten miles distant from Georgetown, but spent the Christmas holidays at home. During this vacation my father received a letter from the Honorable Thomas Morris, then United States senator from Ohio. When he read it he said to me, "Ulysses, I believe you are going to receive the appointment.""What appointment? "I inquired. "To West Point; I have applied for it.""But I won't go,"I said. He said he thought I would, and I thought so too, if he did.
Besides this argument in favor of my going to West Point there was another very strong inducement. I had
always a great desire to travel. Going to West Point would give me the opportunity of visiting the two great cities of
the continent, Philadelphia
BIRTHPLACE OF GENERAL
GRANT.
[Description: Illustration of Ulysses Grant's birthplace—a spartan-looking cagin with foliage and
picket-fence.]
During my first year's encampment, General Scott visited West Point, and reviewed the cadets. With his commanding figure, his quite colossal size and showy uniform, I thought him the finest specimen
At last all the examinations were passed, and the members of the class were called upon to record their choice of arms of service and regiments. I was anxious to enter the cavalry, or dragoons, as they were then called, but there was only one regiment of dragoons in the army at that time, and attached to that, besides the full complement of officers, there were at least four brevet second lieutenants. I recorded, therefore, my first choice, dragoons; second, infantry; and got the latter.
Having made alternate choice of two different arms of service with different uniforms, I could not get a uniform suit, until notified of my assignment. I left my measurement with a tailor, with directions not to make the uniform until I notified him whether was to be for infantry or dragoons. Notice did not reach me for several weeks, and then it took at least a week to get the letter of instruction to the tailor, and two more to make the clothes and have them sent to me. This was a time of great suspense.
Two incidents happened soon after the arrival of the clothes, which gave me a distaste for military uniform that I never recovered from. Soon after the arrival of the suit I donned it, and put off for Cincinnati on horseback. While I was riding along a street of that city, imagining that everyone was looking at me, with a feeling akin to mine when I first saw General Scott, a little urchin, bareheaded,
The other circumstance occurred at home. Opposite our house in Bethel stood the old stage tavern where man and beast found accommodation. The stable-man was rather dissipated, but possessed a sense of humor. On my return I found him parading the streets, and attending in the stable, barefooted, but in a pair of sky-blue nankeen trousers, just the color of my uniform trousers, with a strip of white cotton sheeting sewed down the outside seams in imitation of mine. The joke was a huge one in the minds of many people, and was much enjoyed by them; but I did not appreciate it so highly.
44. Cadet Grant at West Point
By ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT (1838) The Romance of the Civil War | ||