Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum

Letters from the Boys In Blue: General Grant had no political aspirations

Ulysses S. Grant was building momentum in the Civil War, having won victories in April 1862 at Shiloh and earlier in 1863 at Vicksburg and Chattanooga. As a result of his military victories, General Grant’s political star was starting to brighten, although he did not realize it at the time. In December 1863, Barnabus Burns, who was the chairman of the “War Democrats” in Ohio, sent Grant a letter asking to present the general’s name as a presidential candidate at the Democratic Convention. You’ll find General Grant’s December 17, 1863 response below:

Chattanooga Tennessee,

December 17^th 1863,

B. Burns, Esq.

Chairman Dem. Cen. Com.

Dear Sir:

Your letter of the 7^th inst. asking if you will be at liberty to use my name before the Convention of the “War Democracy”, as candidate for the office of the Presidency is just received. – The question astonishes me. I do not know of anything I have ever done or said that would indicate that I could be a candidate for any office whatever within the gift of the people. I shall continue to do my duty, to the best of my ability, so long as permitted to remain in the Army, supporting whatever Administration may be in power, in their endeavor to suppress the rebellion and maintain National Unity, and never desert it because my vote, if I had one, might have been cast for different candidates.

Nothing likely to happen would pain me so much as to see my name used in connection with a political office. I am not a candidate for any office nor for favors from any party. Let us succeed in crushing the rebellion, in the shortest possible time, and I will be content with whatever credit may then be given me, feeling assured that a just public will award all that is due.

Your letter I take to be private. Mine is also private. I wish to avoid notoriety as far as possible, and above all things desire to be spared the pain of seeing my name mixed with politics. Do not therefore publish this letter but wherever, and by whatever party, you hear my name mentioned in connection with the candidacy for any office say that you know from me direct that I am not “in the field,” and cannot allow my name to be used before any convention.

I am, with great respect,

Your obt. Svt.

U.S. Grant

Soon after this letter was sent, Grant would be promoted to Lieutenant General and given command of the entire Union army. Four and a half years later, in late 1868, the Confederacy was no more, President Lincoln had been assassinated, and the general who stated “Nothing likely to happen would pain me so much as to see my name used in connection with a political office” was elected to his first of two terms as the eighteenth President of the United States.

Letters Home: Hiram Roberts to his young daughter Nellie

Hiram P Roberts, Chaplain, HQ, 84^th Illinois Infantry, sent this letter on Christmas Day in 1863 to his five year old daughter, Nellie.

Papa’s Log Cabin

Whiteside Tenn

Christmas Day

Darling Nellie

Your little letter came to me the other day & I was glad to get it. Tell Emma I thank her for writing it for you. I suppose you are having a good time to day. Did Kris Kringle bring you anything last night? I don’t believe he comes down this way at all for I haven’t heard anything about him. I haven’t anything to send you for a Christmas present so I will put in 25 cents & you may get what you want or what mama thinks is best.

Be a good girl & mind mamma & I shall love you all the better.

A Merry Christmas to you from

Papa

Letters Home: H.L. Brush to his son Charles

In our last post, 1st Lt. William Brush wrote to his brother Charles. Towards the beginning of the letter, written on March 28^th, 1863, he mentions, “…my health was never better in the world.”

In this letter, written just two weeks later, from the Brush brothers’ father H.L. to Charles, H.L. writes of William, “…I fear he is very sick.” The whole of H.L.’s letter to Charles is below. What will become of young William Brush?

Ottawa Ap^l 10^th / 63

Dear Charles

Yours 5^th & 6^th was rec^d todays mail

and we were very glad to hear that you was well, sorry the

old mare has taken to her tricks & ran away, if she comes up

this way I will advertise her, Same mail brot letter from

William of 9^th They had been out on drill & he was taken with

a chill, & hot at same time, he had two days before wrote

that he had a cold, says he was very hoarse, and to day

I rec^d dispatch that he was sick typhoid fever, & to come

up tonights train as the Regmt. was under marching

orders to leave tomorrow, I am all ready now 11 P.M to take

the 1 oclk train , I fear he is very sick but know nothing

further, he is very ambitious, has had a great deal to do, &

much to trouble him, he writes that he would not have

had it happened for any thing, but so it is, will write you

from Chicago—I think that the Negro Regmts, will be

ordered into the most sickly part of the country, and if only

about one in about ten are good for any thing, they will prove very

unreliable, always brot up to obey & fear their masters, they

will be very likely to fly from their bayonets, I would not

accept a Brig. Gen^l Commission in such a Regmt with the

Presidents salary, but men differ. Capt. Bill Strawn

told me yesterday he had a notion to get one, & that Collins

had proposed to join him, but he remarked that the depart-

ment was overun with applications from officers for higher

positions in such Regimts, Luke is with us & can manage

things very well I think, I hope to be able to bring William

down on a cot, but fear I cannot for several weeks.

The Officers except for Collins were unwilling to leave, so soon

as many of the men are sick and absent, whereas the

65^th Scotch Regmt. are all in readiness but Colⁿ Moon

writes that through wire pulling they have been

favored, he says that Gen^l Ammen is an Ohioan & is

prejudiced against the 104^th because I suppose they

fought well at Hartsville, while the Ohio Boys run

without discharging their guns, As mother will finish

this letter and I must go to the cars I will say good night

don’t send up any money, use it for yourself I do

not want it, we have planted out quite a large patch

of Wilsons Albany Seedling Strawberries they are not bad to take

with Sugar & Cream, wish we could send you some, but

of Wilsons Albany Seedling Strawberries they are not bad to take

I suppose the South produces other as desirable fruits

which will not mature up here north—Affty yr Father

H. L. Brush

Letters to home: 1^st Lt. William Brush to his brother Charles

1^st Lt. William Brush was mustered into the army on August 27^th, 1862 in Ottawa, IL, and served in the 104^th Illinois Infantry. On March 28^th, 1863 he sent this letter to his brother Charles.

Camp Douglas Chicago March 28^th / 63

Dear Brother

Yours of the 24^th just rec’d with much pleasure. I had begun to think that you had not rec’d my letter becaus I did not hear from you. my health never was better in the world. I have had the entire command of the Company every since we came to Chicago with the exception of six days that I was down home.

Col. Moore is in command of or Reg’t. in spite of all that man or any other man can do. (before the Col. came back he was at work with all of his might. One of the boys told me that he hurd him say that if he could get Brush out that that would be one big stone out of the road. that he would try his best to do so, before that I always tried to do my best to pleas him and do what was right, but since I have sworn that if I ever got an other good chance at him I would improve the chance. he has told lies to the Co. about me and to the Commissioned Officers. I will pay him back in som day in his own coin. Now just look at it it he would never of been Capt. of a Company if I had not gon in with him when I went to LaSalle to see him he had ben recruiting two week’s and only had seven names on his roll. I went in with him and went to recruiting we raised 1.41 men and we gave him the office of Capt. I took the next best. now just becaus I was sick he tried to take the advantage of me. he went around with a paper pretended to have the nomber of days that I was sick ~~on it~~ he said that I was of from duty 96 days. now that is a down up lie. I lost 6-7 days in all, even if I had ben sick all of the time it is nothing to him. I write this to show you what kind of man he is. When the Coln came back I went to him and we had a long talk with him. I told him what I was a going to do if he did not back water. I told the Col. what I cold sware to. ~~The~~ Moore told me that he would not take a word from him that he would sock it to him if he did not keep cool. if he brings charges against him he is agoing to bring me in as a witness. if I ever com up on that case I will do it justic (now mark what I say) I have my friends in the Co. & he has his he has some that he has told that he would promote providing he got me out. Clark is 2d Lieut. You spoke to me about calling on our folks in the City I have called upon Mrs Patterson Lucy is at her house I took dinner at her house last Sunday she is a very fine lady. Have not called upon Mr Dickerson’s family or Mr Gould will try and go and see Hattie next monday. I am detailed as officer of the guard to morrow. I com on duty every fift day that is not very bad. I dont think that we will stay in this camp a great while we have had orders to prepair to march but when we have to march is another thing. I am afraid that ~~they~~ we will be ordered in to Kentucky I hope not becaus marching is plaid out. I hope we will go to memphis.

I dont think it is best for an Officer to wride a very showey horse. if that old mare is good ~~tuff~~ tough critter I would keep her. not try to get a high headed gay horse one that is all the time dancing & prancin around. That is one thing that the Rebels blow so much about they say that our officers dress up in dark blue cloths and lots of brass buttons & straps, and fine horses, for them to shoot at. They say that they make a good mark. Now we lost our A, A, A, G at the Battle of Hartsville he was a son of Judy Golson of Cincinnatio very welthy he rode a black horse. and had on a dark over coat. They took him for Coln Moore. he was shot with two balls. I recd a letter from home to day the folks are all well. I have bought a coat paid 30.$ for it a pair of Boots 10.$ Poncho 8.$ I tell you it takes the money if in good style you wanted to know how much my board costs I have a darkey we have a mess in camp my board cost from 2,50 to 300 a week according to how many cans of oysters I buy

Write often

From your Affectly Bro

WE Brush

[Across top p. 4] Give my best respects to Ralph [upside down]

Letters Home: Colonel W.H.L. Wallace to his wife Ann

Birds Point_Oct.13, 1861

Dear Ann:-

This has been another beautiful & quiet Sunday_ making me think fondly of the stone house in the woods with its green lawns and rustling leaves, and that dear angel that makes the place seem like heaven to me_ How much I should have loved to take a stroll with you around the grounds this quiet bright autumnal sabbath! You, dearest, have enjoyed this, and I have almost enjoyed it in imagination, with the certainty that you my dearer self were there_

This evening is a beautiful moonlight, night_ very mild & soft_ About 8 o’clock I took our new band on board the steamer & with several officers & ladies, ran over to Cairo & up the Ohio river two or three miles to enjoy the bright night & music & show the Cairo folks what a band the 11^th has_ They do play magnificiently_As we ran along past Cairo the whole levee responded & applauded by clapping of hands_ The party enjoyed the ride & music very much & I did wish you were there to enjoy it too_

The officers have elected Mr Pearsons (who preached while you were here) as chaplain to the Regiment_ He is sick & we had no service today_ There was service in two or three of the regiments but I did not attend_ I spent most of the afternoon in going to Cairo and getting a furlough for a sick soldier from Ottawa named Hess in Capt. Reeds company_ His regiment is at Louisville & his brother was with him in the hospital here_ I got a furlough for both of them to go home_ I also gave Mr. Widmer leave of absence for ten days_ He has been sick for some days_ John Wardlaw has not got well yet_ He is still too weak to travel_ I had intended to have him sent home, but it would probably do him more harm than good just now_ He seems to be free from disease but is very weak_This favorable change in the weather will do him good I think_ The sickness generally is gradually but steadily abating & I hope that the next week or ten days will see our sick list greatly shortened

I had two letters from you dearest today_ How kind and thoughtful you are darling to write me every day even if it is but a short letter_ Blossoms letter was cunning_bless her little soul_ tell her papa will write her a little letter soon and tell her how much he loves his “little Blossom”

God bless you_ Good night & pleasant dreams my own, my darling wife

Yours

WHLWallace