Grant US Grant and His Uniform

[kevikens]

I have read, in any number of books or articles about US Grant and his peculiar attire, that he wore a simple private"s uniform distinguishable only by the shoulder straps. It appears to me, from the photographs of what Grant was wearing during the war, that whatever he was wearing was not the typical uniform of the average private (even a high private). How widespread is this belief, how did it start and just what is he wearing?

 

[Drew]

His formal photographic portraits were taken in his General's uniform.

He wore a private's smock in the field to avoid attention from sharpshooters, who were looking for officers. It was pretty smart and not a myth at all.

 

[Dave Wilma]

According to Grant's biographers he was never much for military ceremony. One account has him at home on leave from West Point in full uniform and being ridiculed by a young boy. After that he was not inclined to affect the trappings of an officer.

As for avoiding sharpshooters that is possible, but one attribute Grant had was the ability to manage a battle at some distance behind the line. If he had a "tell" it was the cigar and always whittling at a stick.

 

[rbasin]

According to Grant's biographers he was never much for military ceremony. One account has him at home on leave from West Point in full uniform and being ridiculed by a young boy. After that he was not inclined to affect the trappings of an officer.

As for avoiding sharpshooters that is possible, but one attribute Grant had was the ability to manage a battle at some distance behind the line. If he had a "tell" it was the cigar and always whittling at a stick.

I think its Foote that wrote about Grant and his tell of not being able to light a cigar. He was wasting time until he could answer a question someone asked him.