Ulysses S. Grant (Biographics) - Reaction

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[ScipioAfricanus_Chris]

The more I learn about Grant the more I realize what a fantastic and top rate human being he truly was.

[oldeskul]

As a kid I was fed the Lost Cause narrative, and I bought it. As I got older I started asking, "If Grant was such a bad leader, how was he able to defeat Lee?", and I kept getting responses in the vein of "Shut up and don't ask questions.", which led me to start looking into Grant's military career, and his maneuvers at Vicksburg was just genius.

Grant was one of the first American commanders to embrace what we now call today combined arms.

[Awells]

My personal favorite Grant story was him ordering his men to stop cheering after the Confederate surrender became official. Brilliant man one of my personal heroes.

[jobanhify]

You know what I love about Chris, he doesn't wear sunglasses indoors, and he sticks with the facts 😅

[jaredmize]

I’m so glad that in recent years Grants reputation has been steadily improving. Was a morally upright man and just an overall great guy. Not to mention a strategic mastermind

[crispyrock]

I think what speaks to his character the most is that when he was at his lowest and desperately needed money and he has an easy way to get money by selling his slave he doesn’t and instead does what is right. I don’t think many people would’ve done the same in his situation

[IDKeffect]

It is ashame we are not taught more about Grant in school. He was a legit man and I would love to be friends with him. When I went to Gettysburg, my wife and I went to a Grant dinner play. I had mo idea how humble he was. One story that was told to us in the play on how he sent a man home because his wife was dying and he had 2 kids to take care of. Instead of giving this man punishment, he said go and give him his whole damn salary. Amazing man. As a black American, he is clearly 2nd to Lincoln as a man who try to get things straight in this beautiful country.

[imjusthereish]

It is HIGH TIME Grant got a movie of his own, or at least a miniseries (I know the history channel made one, but I want one that's HBO's John Adams caliber). His life was so fascinating. It would be an amazing series that could even show America's evolution as a whole from the pre-civil war era through the gilded age as seen through the eyes of Grant and his family. It would be epic!

[winstonwashington]

You mentioned he was great at two things, soldiery and being a husband - but don't forget he was an accomplished horseman too! Besides the one ride through Monterrey, his slide down the bank and onto a gangway on a moving ferry after the battle of Belmont was cool. Awesome video man - I always enjoy these when you post them!

[agentspaniel]

The fact that Grant blamed himself for things that really weren't his fault (cold harbor and the crater) really says a lot about him

[rafisanders]

The more I've learned about Grant. The more upset I get about how history treated him

[annemariecronen]

My mom had inherited an issue of a newspaper that featured Grant's funeral on the front page. My great great grandmother had saved it. I believe it was from either an Illinois or Iowa newspaper. Sad it was later destroyed in flooding. I remember that i once brought it to history class in junior high as part of a presentation I made on Grant

[Worldwater]

Grant > Lee, can’t believe it’s become such a heated debate

[justvisiting]

Due to being younger and living in the deep South I've always had trouble finding people who would agree with me that Grant was a great leader and admirable person; I'm deeply glad that the narrative of him is changing, he's one of my favorite presidents and the Lost Causers have done so much damage to an American hero.

[jackmessick]

I can remember my Junior year American History textbook (1979) only mentioned two things about him: The Credit-Mobilier scandal and that at the surrender, Lee wore his full dress uniform while Grant wore "a dirty private's shirt."

In Shelby Foote's"The Civil War: a Narrative" does a great job of retelling Grant's many tries at taking Vicksburg, including building canals to drain rivers. Worth a read.

The weird thing is that Atlanta was NOT the capital of Georgia at the time; a town called Milledgeville was.

[joet.s.]

I'd like to thank you for really opening my eyes to Grant.

I drive past Grant's Cottage fairly regularly and am currently working through his memoirs.

Truly someone I come to like the more I learn

[DoctorLoudonclear]

I grew up and still live in the Deep South, and I know an alarming number of people who believe the Lost Cause myth. I had a teacher who taught me that Grant only beat Lee because of his “meet grinder” tactics. Thankfully, in high school, my US history teachers actually knew history and were able to teach me
otherwise.

[brandonguffey]

That moment when two of my favorite YouTubers collide. I got fact boi and history dad telling me how it is and it couldn't be better.

[revan]

My great-great-great grandfather served under Grant in the western front, even being wounded at Chickamauga. He reenlisted and stayed in for the duration of the war. He must have had a very favorable view of Grant as he would name his second son Ulysses Sherman. Sadly, that was not my grandfather since he was born before the war and got the name Virgil. There is also a legend on my maternal side that we are related to the Grants, but sadly that is on the side that we are missing a lot of details on since a grandfather was just left at a neighbor's and his parents just went wherever. The book that forever shaped my view of Grant was "Grant's Last Battle: The Story Behind the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant." Having watch my mom's battle and loss to cancer, I have mad respect for what Grant accomplished. In addition to Chernow's book, I recommend "American Ulysses" by Ronald C. White. Of course, you can't beat Grant's memoirs. I purchased a really nice edition from Grant's cottage in New York via the museum's online store.

[PolynesianPrince]

Reading Chernows book now and it’s great. Grant has taken historical lumps but the man’s character is unparalleled.