On April 27, 1898, The Americus Republican Club met for their annual celebration of Ulysses S. Grant's birthday in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
I was unable to find any further information about this dinner celebration.
However, I was able to find a description for the 16th annual dinner celebration which was held at the Hotel Henry in Pittsburg.
P.C. Knox the Attorney General of the USA was the official toastmaster
L.M. Shaw the Secretary of the Treasury and H.C. Payne the Postmaster General were also at the dinner
as well as Congressman Charles Littlefield of Maine and Robert Pitcairn of the Pennysylvania Railroad
Grant was honored by Senator Burton who said that he was "the greatest soldier of his time --if not of all times."
"Almost a divine faith in human nature, coupled with tenacity truth and tenderness, were the basic elements of his character"
His official name was Hiram Ulysses Grant.and he claimed that the "S" in his name stood for nothing.
Like most great and famous people, Grant was multi-dimensional and complicated, a real person with humans strengths and weaknesses.
As a four star Civil War battlefield general he was the best that the Union had to offer.
As President he is not remembered for being one of the great Presidents.
His time as President is also known as one where there were a number of corruption incidents, although Grant himself was not implicated in any corruption.
Apparently a number of his close associates did engage in such corruption and it is known that he used the power of the Presidency to protect his friends.
History has also labeled him as a man with an alcohol problem. This was a rumor that was quite prevalent at the time, but there appears to be little substance to the rumor
and many believe that his political enemies were the chief source of the rumor.
The stereotype that we all have of President Grant is probably not accurate.
President (General) Grant
President (General) Grant
General (President) Grant came from a humble background in Galena, Illinois.
Grant Monument, Chicago, Illinois dated 1905
Return to spoon planet exhibition index