Cavalry Charger
Major
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2017
"Grant was silent about the circumstances of his departure from the U.S. Army. However misuse of alcohol is said to be the reason for his sudden resignation, and it was the foundation of future stories about his abuse of liquor.
Rufus Ingalls, a friend of Grant's from his years at West Point, is quoted in Ulysses S. Grant, his Life and Character, saying:
'Captain Grant, finding himself in dreary surroundings, without his family, and with but little to occupy his attention, fell into dissipated habits, and was found, one day, too much under the influence of liquor to properly perform his duties. For this offense Colonel Buchanan demanded that he should resign, or stand trial. Grant's friends at the time urge him to stand trial, and were confident of his acquittal; but, actuated by a noble spirit, he said he would not for all the world have his wife know that he had been tried on such a charge. He therefore resigned his commission, and returned to civilian life.'
The book, by Hamlin Garland, was published in 1898 by Doubleday & McClure, New York"
Brooks D. Simpson in his biography on Grant - Triumph Over Adversity - provides another quote from Rufus Ingalls who declares "Buchanan was prejudiced against Grant & was an infernal old martinette & a d- an old S. of a B." (Charles G. Ellington, The Trial of U.S. Grant: The Pacific Coast Years, 1852- 1854).
Grant does not mention any of this in his memoirs, except to say that he had no chance of supporting his wife and family on the Pacific coast out of his pay as an army officer, therefore concluding to resign.
There appears to be a number of factors at play in the life of Ulysses S. Grant at this time, and I'm now aware of the defense that some of Grant's friends believed he had in relation to any charges that might be brought against him in a possible court martial. I did not believe he had any defense up to now.
So, I wanted to bring this to the attention of others for their input, and will be hoping to add more as soon as possible.
Rufus Ingalls, a friend of Grant's from his years at West Point, is quoted in Ulysses S. Grant, his Life and Character, saying:
'Captain Grant, finding himself in dreary surroundings, without his family, and with but little to occupy his attention, fell into dissipated habits, and was found, one day, too much under the influence of liquor to properly perform his duties. For this offense Colonel Buchanan demanded that he should resign, or stand trial. Grant's friends at the time urge him to stand trial, and were confident of his acquittal; but, actuated by a noble spirit, he said he would not for all the world have his wife know that he had been tried on such a charge. He therefore resigned his commission, and returned to civilian life.'
The book, by Hamlin Garland, was published in 1898 by Doubleday & McClure, New York"
Brooks D. Simpson in his biography on Grant - Triumph Over Adversity - provides another quote from Rufus Ingalls who declares "Buchanan was prejudiced against Grant & was an infernal old martinette & a d- an old S. of a B." (Charles G. Ellington, The Trial of U.S. Grant: The Pacific Coast Years, 1852- 1854).
Grant does not mention any of this in his memoirs, except to say that he had no chance of supporting his wife and family on the Pacific coast out of his pay as an army officer, therefore concluding to resign.
There appears to be a number of factors at play in the life of Ulysses S. Grant at this time, and I'm now aware of the defense that some of Grant's friends believed he had in relation to any charges that might be brought against him in a possible court martial. I did not believe he had any defense up to now.
So, I wanted to bring this to the attention of others for their input, and will be hoping to add more as soon as possible.
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