There were thousands of instances, during the rebellion, of individual, company, regimental and brigade deeds of heroism which deserve special mention and are not here alluded to. There must be many errors of omission in this work, because the subject is too large to be treated of in two volumes in such way as to do justice to all the officers and men engaged. In preparing these volumes for the public, I have entered upon the task with the sincere desire to avoid doing injustice to any one, whether on the National or Confederate side, other than the unavoidable injustice of not making mention often where special mention is due.

The event is an important one for me, for good or evil I hope for the former. The work I found congenial, and I determined to continue it. I consented for the money it gave me for at that moment I was living upon borrowed money. At this juncture the editor of the Century Magazine asked me to write a few articles for him. This was followed soon after by universal depression of all securities, which seemed to threaten the extinction of a good part of the income still retained, and for which I am indebted to the kindly act of friends. Shortly after, the rascality of a business partner developed itself by the announcement of a failure. At the age of nearly sixty-two I received an injury from a fall, which confined me closely to the house while it did not apparently affect my general health. “Man proposes and God disposes.” There are but few important events in the affairs of men brought about by their own choice.Īlthough frequently urged by friends to write my memoirs I had determined never to do so, nor to write anything for publication. The entire book can be read online for free or purchased at local bookstores throughout the country. What follows below are a number of famous passages from the Personal Memoirs. The Personal Memoirs also provide important insights into the strategy, tactics, and outcomes of the battles Grant fought in during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. For many years countless scholars have relied on Grant’s words to learn about his personal character and the challenges he faced during his life.

Grant’s clear, conversational tone throughout the book made his thoughts accessible to readers. Grant’s Personal Memoirs were an instant best-seller upon their release in 1885 and have never been out of print.

General grant memoirs