This has always been an interesting quote to me, regarding one of my favorite Civil War leaders, Ulysses S. Grant.
“I knew him as a cadet at West Point, as a lieutenant in the 4th Infantry, as a citizen of St. Louis and as a growing general all through the bloody Civil War. Yet to me he is a mystery and I believe he is a mystery to himself.” – William T. Sherman
Historian James McPherson asserts that this probably meant that Grant did not understand the secret to his success. I’m not so certain that Sherman was not expressing something else, in this quote. What say you?
About Michael Noirot
I grew up in the Central Illinois farming community, of Dunlap. Growing up, I played sports, tinkered with cars and enjoyed photography. While I did well in school, I did not become passionate about history until my early 30's.
I have built a large library, of books on early America, politics and the Civil War. I am an avid reader. Fortunately, I have had plenty of opportunities to travel, over the years, and have been to most of the Civil War battlefields. I work while I travel, so more often than not, I am up, in the middle of the night, to get sunrise pictures, or I will be out until well after dark, exploring Civil War battlefields.
I have other hobbies, and passions, that I really enjoy. Number one on the list would be guitar. I play my guitars on a regular basis, and enjoy the Bluegrass, and Contemporary Christian (CCM) genres. I play a style of guitar, called FLATPICKING, where using a flat pick, you play lead solos, similar to the way a fiddle would have been played during the 19th and early 20th Centuries.
Laura, my wife, and I also enjoy scuba diving, travel and spending time at our property, in the country. Lastly, we spend as much time with our families, as possible. Thanks for stopping by.
