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Hi, everyone -- Thanks for all your notes. Yes, of course I meant 1862, not 1962. UGHH. I'd actually intended a different story for this morning, but it was taking too long. I decided I needed more time to get it right. Ironic, I guess, because then I grabbed this old story, which had originally been written for a different date, and messed that one up!!! 😆😂 (I had to rewrite the first paragraph to match the new anniversary, but then glitched on the date.) My bad. It's fixed now.

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🤗 no worries. It happens to all of us at times.

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😊😉

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Feb 15·edited Feb 15

Grant's name was Ulysses Hiram Grant. When he was nominated to go to West Point there was a mistake in his name but told that his nomination name was Ulysses S. Grant and therefore that became his name and was stuck with him. All his WestPoint classmates including James Longstreet called him "Sam" his nickname in reference to his name U. S. Grant. After Fort Donelson was captured, he became "Unconditional Surrender Grant". People admired him with his photos chewing on a cigar that sent him barrels of cigars after that victory. Unfortunately for Grant, he had a boss "Henry Halleck" that was very much jealous of Grant's success. Even though he was successful beating the army of the Tennessee on the 2nd day during the battle of Shilo, he was sacked as a commander due to his boss's spreading rumors that he was drunk. The only person that came to his help was President Lincoln. It has been said that Lincoln indicated that "I can't spare this man! He fights". We also know now what constant smoking of tobacco does to one's health. He was diagnosed with cancer of throat and died at the age of 63. I personally have visited his grave in New York. Recommend it to everyone when in New York city. According to Shelby Foote He was the coolest general under fire.

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"S" was assigned to him by a West Point administrator asked him what his mother's maiden na.e had been [Simpson]. Can you provide a source for "Hiram"?

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His name was Hiram Ulysses Grant

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_S._Grant

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-president-ulysses-grant

His name was changed due to a mistake by a benefactor on his application form to West Point according to consitutioncenter.org and my readings of him

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Thank you, Tara, for bringing forward this story of an important battle that shaped the future of America!

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I have visited Fort Donnelson National Battlefield on multiple occasions. The 36 pound cannons overlook the Cumberland river [Lake Barkley] are an awesome sight to see.

It has numerous statues, almost all for the Confederate Army. The fort was bult and kept by confederate forces until Grant and his army took the Fort.

If you're in the area it's worth the time of a visit.

https://www.nps.gov/fodo/index.htm

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*1862? 😉

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author

Yeah. Ugh. 🤦‍♀️

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❤️ 💙 💜 💖

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Did you mean 1862?

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author

Yes, see note I just posted for everyone. Ugh. My bad.

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Unconditional Surrender Grant! The start of newfound fame in a glorious career for Grant, for without his resolve, we would have most assuredly los the Union!

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Grant was a strong leader and obviously even friendship didn’t deter him from his objective. If only we had men and women with such backbone and courage to stand strong for what is in the interests of the United States and its citizens. In other words an American patriot who love their country and put it first without compromise. Fighting for freedom and upholding our Constitutional Republic. Good post even if it’s a repeat, Tara.

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🇺🇸 Thanks TR! A bit of a defining moment in the war between the states.

Civil it was not. 🇺🇲

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Taking nothing away from general Lee but imo general Grant was the best of his time.

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My heritage is one of brothers, cousins, grandfathers, and uncles who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Much of my sympathy lies with them. However, few owned slaves and I despise slavery in any form and I am so glad that legal slavery was destroyed in that war. I do realize the a major cause of the war was the self-determination of the states who chose to allow slavery, but the instigation of the war was the root reason. Slavery is always a bad choice and was instituted to replace a system which allowed those bound to a landowner for a period of time to work off the debt incurred by bringing those forced laborers into colonies across the world. However, in early Virginia and immediately following Bacon's Rebellion, the English land owners decided that they could not risk another similar rebellion. White and black former bond slaves who had worked off their debt and had been liberated had worked together in their effort to attain rights to own land. Strange, but the first permanently enslaved person was owned by another African who had been prospering in farming etc. It became a system that encouraged prejudice and segregation. I am so glad it was destroyed as an outcome of the Civil War but the beliefs and misconceptions with their segregation and prejudice became a strong part of American Culture which we have greatly overcome but must continue to work against so that they never again occur. And U.S. Grant was key to that victory over the system of slavery. The US is still the greatest nation on earth with more liberty and freedom of choice in governing than any other nation - and we must work hard to maintain that.

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He definitely set the tone for the rest of his campaigns.

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Thank you Tara. I wasn't aware of the particulars regarding the battle at Fort Donelson. The interchange between old friends Buckner and Grant, regarding the surrender terms of the Confederate forces certainly had an impact on future battles and the outcome of the war.

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Your posts are still the best available online ! Thanks for sharing all these marvelous stories that we may have missed or forgotten about . Our past triumphs and failures may help to keep us on the path our founders fought to clear and maintain at enormous risk to themselves . May God continue to Bless us and forgive any missteps we may have made along the way !

🇺🇸 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻🇺🇸

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Interesting that, once again, a Confederate commander chose NOT to finish the job. There were several times, in the first couple years of the war, when the Southerners had an advantage that they did not complete. "Divine" Intervention? Or just misjudgments?

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I enjoyed learning of this lesson today. Thanks for providing us a history journey each day Tara.

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