Grant, Ulysses (Administration)

Hiram Ulysses Simpson Grant was born on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. He was the first-born child of Jesse and Hannah Simpson Grant. [Page 683]Jesse, a tanner by trade, was a moderately successful businessman. He also dabbled in local politics, and successfully promoted Grant’s appointment to the Military Academy at West Point. Because of a clerical error, Grant was identified as Ulysses Simpson on entrance to the Military Academy. He neglected to correct the error and thereafter was called by that name. From before his discharge from the service until the Civil War began, Grant failed in all of his business efforts. Those included failures in farming ventures, investments, and business partnerships. In fact, he was forced to take a job in his ...