The following letter is dated September
22, 1839, "Military Academy, West Point, New
York."
Many of the accounts could have been written
today
"Dear Coz,
I was just thinking that you would be right
glad to hear from one of your relations who is so
far away as I am, so I have put asaid my Algebra
and French and am going to tell you along story
about this prettiest of places, West Point. So
far as it regards natural attractions it is
decidedly the most beautiful place I have ever
seen; here are hills and dales, rocks and river;
all pleasant to look upon. From the window near I
can see the Hudson; that far famed, that
beautiful river with its bosom studded with
hundreds of snow white sails. In short, this is
the best of all places - the place of all places
for an institution like this.
I have not told you half its
attractions. Over the river we are shown the
dueling house of Arnold, that base and heartless
traitor to his country and his God. I do love
the place. It seems as though I could live
here forever if my friends would only come too.
You might search the wide world over and then not
find a better. Now all this sounds nice, very
nice, "what a happy fellow you are" you
will say, but I am not one to show false colors
the brightest side of the picture. So I will tell
you about a few of the drawbacks.
First, I slept for two months upon one single
pair of blankets, now this sounds romantic and
you may think it very easy, but I tell you what
Coz, it is tremendous hard. Suppose you
try it by way of experiment for a night or two. I
am pretty shure that you would be perfectly
satisfied that it is no easy matter, but I am
glad that these things are over. We are now in
our quarters. I have a spleanded bed and get
along very well. Our pay is nominally about 28
dollars per month, but we never see one cent of
it. If we want anything from a shoestring to a
coat we must go to the commandant of the post and
get an order fer it or we cannot have it. We have
tremendous long and hard lessons in French and
Algebra. I study hard and hope to get along so as
to pas the examination in January. This
examination is a hard one they say, but I am not
frightened yet. If I am successful here
you will not see me fer two long years. It
seems a long while to me, but time passes off
very fast. It seems but a few days since I came
here. It is because very day has its duty which
must be performed.
On the whole I like the place very much, so
much that I would not go away on any account. The
fact is if a man graduates here he is safe fer
life, let him go where he will. There is much to
dislike but more to like. I mean to study hard
and stay if it be possible. If I cannot - very
well - the world is wide. I have now been here
four months and have not seen a single familier
face or spoken to a single lady. I wish
some of the pretty girles of Bethel were here
just so that I might look at them, but fudge!
confound the girles.
I have seen great men, plenty of them. Let us
see, General Scott, Martin van Buren, Secretary
of War and Navy, Washington Irving and lots of
other big bugs. If I were to come home now with
my uniform on the way you would laugh at my
appearance would be curious. My pants sit as
tight to my skin as the bark of a tree and if I
do not walk military, that is, if I bend
over quickly or run, they are very apt to crack
with a report as loud as a pistol. My coat must
always be buttoned up tight to the chin. It is
made of sheeps gray cloth, all covered with big
round buttens. It makes me look very singular. If
you were to see me at a distance, the first
question you would ask would be, "is that a
fish or an animal?"
You must give my very best love and respects
to all my friends, particularly your brothers.
You must also write me a long, long letter in
reply to this and tell me about everything and
everybody, including yourself. If you happen to
see my folks, just tell them that I am happy, alive
and kicking.
I am truly your cousin
and obedand servant
U.H. Grant
I came near to forgetting to tell you about
our demerit of "black marks." They give
a man one of these "black marks" for
almost nothing and if he gets 200 a year they
dismiss him. To show how easy one can get these a
man by the name of Grant of this state got
eight of these marks for not going to
Church today. He was also put under arrest so he
cannot leave his room perhaps fer a month, all
this fer not going to Church.
We are not only obliged to go to church but
we must march there by companies. This is
not exactly republican. It is an Episcopal
church. Contrary to the prediction of you and the
rest of my Bethel friends I have not yet been the
least homesick, no! I would not go home on
any account whatever. When I come home in two
years (if I live), the way I shall astonish you natives
will be curious. I hope you wont take
me for a Baboon. "
(Grant had been a cadet for
three months and was 17 years old when he wrote
this letter to his cousin)
for granting us permission to
use this letter.
This letter is printed in The
Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, Volume
1, Carbondale, Illinois, 1966, pages 4-7. All of
the Papers are indispensible
reading in order to fully fathom Grant's
character and motivations. There are currently 22
completed Volumes.
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