Visited Ulysses S. Grant's birthplace today...

[Mike70]

for about the thousandth time. it's about 15 miles up river from where i live. a place called Point Pleasant. i go there several times a year. there is beautiful park by the river. it is interesting to see the place where someone who shaped so much of american history was born.

here's a pic or two.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3243/2825330762_9e0daa55f6_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3229/2962286023_a5e54d9d22.jpg

[rightwing401]

Nice. Interesting to see the small and simple place that a truly exceptional man was born in. I guess as a deep south southerner, I'm supposed to have an ingrained dislike for a northern general of the civil war, but I can't adhere to such an ass backwards view point towards such a remarkable man. I've always found Grant's view of unconditional surrender, along with his simple grit and determination, to have helped bring an unsavory portion of our nation's history towards a much faster and likely less bloody ending. Always get a smile on my face when I read what he had to say about Robert E. Lee.

"Oh, I am heartily tired of hearing about what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem to think he is suddenly going to turn a double somersault, and land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command, and try to think what are we going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do."

This quote truly sends chills down my spine. It shows in such simple words his unshakable determination in the face of extreme adversity.

"The enemy hold our front in very strong force, and evince a strong determination to interpose between us and Richmond to the last. I shall take no backward steps."

[Mike70]

Nice. Interesting to see the small and simple place that a truly exceptional man was born in. I guess as a deep south southerner, I'm supposed to have an ingrained dislike for a northern general of the civil war, but I can't adhere to such an ass backwards view point towards such a remarkable man. I've always found Grant's view of unconditional surrender, along with his simple grit and determination, to have helped bring an unsavory portion of our nation's history towards a much faster and likely less bloody ending.

Ohioans like myself are very proud of the fact that arguably the 3 best union generals, Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan, were all from Ohio. Grant's only problem in my view is that he had very bad taste in friends and trusted them WAY too much.

I think what makes Grant great is his mercy in the way he treated the defeated Army of Northern Virginia. he let them walk off that field with their heads up in pride. he didn't have to do that, but he did.