General Grant National Memorial

#OnThisDay May 7, 1897, in the shadow of Grant’s newly completed mausoleum, Chinese statesman Li Hung Chang planted a 7ft ginkgo biloba tree at the former site of the temporary tomb. That tree would soon be followed by a witness tree, a Chinese cork, and a plaque with inscriptions in Chinese and English. Learn more about this ginkgo tree and Grant’s relationship with China during a program titled Grant & the Ginkgo which will premiere later this month on Friday May 28 at 2:...00PM. The program will premiere on Facebook and will also be available on IGTV (@GrantsTombNPS) and on our website (nps.gov/gegr/). Image: (1) Ulysses S. Grant with Chinese General Li Hongzhang during the former's world tour in 1879. / Library of Congress (2) Site of temporary tomb with ginkgo tree and plaque behind the General Grant National Memorial / NPS photo #AANHPIHM #AsianPacificAmericanHeritageMonth #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

The Battle of the Wilderness fought May 57, 1864, was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War. Although Grant was anxious to confront Lee at the earliest good opportunity, he preferred not to fight in the tangled forests of the Wilderness. Fighting along the inhospitable terrain proved vicious but indecisive. Fires blazed thr...ough the forest, sending hot, acrid smoke rolling into the air and searing the wounded trapped between the lines - a fitting conclusion to a grisly engagement. Grant watched both of his flanks crumble on May 6 and lost more than twice as many soldiers (about 18,000 to 8,000) as did Lee. Veterans of the Army of the Potomac had seen this before: cross the river, get whipped, retreat -- the story of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville reprised. But Grant, not Burnside or Hooker, now called the shots. Late on May 7, the general-in-chief rode at the head of his army and approached a lonely junction in the Wilderness. A left turn would signal withdrawal toward the fords of the Rapidan and Rappahannock Rivers. To the right lay the highway to Richmond via Spotsylvania Court House. Grant pointed right. The soldiers cheered. There would be no turning back. #BattleOfTheWilderness #AmericanCivilWar #CivilWarHistory #GeneralGrant #GrantsTomb #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque Image: (1) Currier & Ives lithograph depicting The battle of the Wilderness Va. May 5th & 6th 1864. / Library of Congress (2) Grant’s night march in the aftermath of the battle./ U.S. National Archives

The Whiskey Ring erupted soon after the beginning of Grant's second presidential term in office. It concerned a conspiracy of distillers to bribe government officials and to defraud the government of the excise taxes on liquor. With Grant’s support, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Benjamin H. Bristow resolved to break the conspiracy and in May 1875 he succeeded in his goal and charges were brought against the conspirators. After someone hinted that Orville Babcock, Grant’s per...sonal secretary, might be among the guilty, Grant stated, Let no guilty man escape if it can be avoided.No personal consideration should stand in the way of performing a public duty. Weighing the evidence, Grant later defended Babcock, who was acquitted of the questionable charges against him due to a lack of evidence. President Grant, although not directly involved in the ring, came to be seen as emblematic of Republican corruption, and later scandals only confirmed that perception. Image: Cartoon registers the dismay that Uncle Sam feels as he probes the Whiskey Ring scandal in which Treasury Department officials and whiskey distillers defrauded the federal government of liquor-tax revenues. / Thomas Nast - Harper's Weekly, March 1876 #WhiskeyRing #PresidentGrant #GrantsTomb #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

The first Battle of Corinth was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. The town was a strategic point at the junction of two vital railroad lines, the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Since Major General Henry Halleck had approached so cautiously, digging entrenchments at every stop for over a month, this action has been known as the Siege of Corinth. Henry Wager Halleck was a United St...ates Army officer, scholar, and lawyer. A noted expert in military studies, he was known by a nickname that became derogatory: "Old Brains". The only operation in which Halleck exercised field command was the siege of Corinth in the spring of 1862, a Union victory which he conducted with extreme caution. Halleck also developed rivalries with many of his subordinate generals, such as Ulysses S. Grant. Image: General H.W. Halleck [between 1860 and 1870] / Image courtesy of the Library of Congress #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque #CivilWarHistory

The "Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant", an autobiography written by Ulysses S. Grant became an instant best-seller upon their release in 1885, and has never been out of print. Grant’s clear, conversational tone throughout the book made his thoughts accessible to readers. 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, as well as the Mexican-American War and American Civil War. Many... have considered the Memoirs to be one of the greatest pieces of nonfiction in American literary history. #WriteOut, a collaboration between the National Park Service and the National Writing Project is a free two-week event, where educators, students, and the public are invited to explore national parks and other public spaces to connect, improve and learn creative writing skills and to experience your National Parks. If you want to turn to writing as Grant did in his final days, check out https://writeout.nwp.org/ where National Park Service Rangers from around the country have created fun writing prompt videos to inspire your writing. #NationalDayofWriting #WriteOut #NWP #NPS #FindYourPark #GeneralGrantNM Photo Caption: A first edition copy of Ulysses S. Grant's Personal Memoirs from 1885. Photo Credit: NPS/David Newmann

Join us for a special virtual architecture tour of Grant's Tomb as part of Open House New York (OHNY) Weekend. Lets explore together how the architecture alone answers the question "Who's Buried in Grants Tomb?" (25 Minutes) #GrantsTomb #ulyssesGrant #FindyourPark #OHNYwknd #Architecture

Join us in 10 Minutes for today's live architecture program at General Grant National Memorial

In addition to being a National Monument since 1958, General Grant National Memorial was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. First passed October 15, 1966, the National Historic Preservation Act revolutionized the world of historic preservation when it established systems and standards for coordinating historic preservation efforts between the federal government and state, local, and tribal governments. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation ...Act of 1966, the National Register of Historic Places is the official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture worthy of preservation. Through historic preservation, we look at history in different ways, ask different questions of the past, and learn new things about our history and ourselves. Historic preservation is an important way for us to transmit our understanding of the past to future generations. As part of Open House New York Weekend, we will explore the architecture of this historic monument and how it tells the story of Ulysses S. Grant. Join us for LIVE virtual tours of North America’s largest Mausoleum. Tour is 25 minutes. Followed by Questions & Answers. Schedule: Saturday, October 17th @ 12:00 noon & 2:00 pm Sunday, October 18th @ 12:00 noon & 2:00 pm #OnThisDay #NHPA #NRHP #HistoricPreservation #GeneralGrantNM #FindYourPark Photo Caption: View From Front. - Grant's Monument, Riverside Drive & West 122nd Street, New York County, NY Photo Credit: Historic American Buildings Survey, Cervin Robinson, Photographer March 19, 1964

What are you doing this next upcoming weekend? Join us for a virtual tour exploring the architecture of the Mausoleum. Tune in here on our Facebook Page at 12 noon and 2 pm on Saturday and Sunday October 17 & 18. Tune in at Facebook.com/GrantsTombNPS/LIVE

As part of the Open House New York Weekend, join us for a virtual architectural tour of North America’s largest Mausoleum. We will explore how the architecture of this iconic monument tells the story of Ulysses S Grant. Tour is 25 minutes Followed by Q&A. SCHEDULE: Saturday October 17th 12:00 noon & 2:00 pm Sunday Octover 18th 12:00 noon & 2:00 pm... Link to View: General Grant National Memorial Image Description: Official National Park Service flyer with inside view of Tomb and three flags, National Park Service Black Band and Arrowhead. Open House New York Weekend Logo. including the time and description of the programming listed above. Lower corner of flyer lists text Plan Your Visit General Grant National Memorial (Grant’s Tomb) located at Riverside Drive and 122nd Street in Riverside Park, in Manhattan, New York City. Visit the Mausoleum (tomb) and visitor center to the west across Riverside Drive. COVID-19 RESPONSE: Visit our website for current status of access to indoor and outdoor areas. www.nps.gov/gegr. For more information: (646) 670-7251 [email protected] www.nps.gov/gegr Follow Us Twitter: @GrantsTombNPS Facebook: General Grant National Memorial Instagram: @GrantsTombNPS

Celebrated nationwide from September 15 to October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans. Ulysses S. Grant, one of America’s most influential presidents, who passionately defended African-American and Native American rights was deeply inspired by his relationship with Mexico. Ulysses S. Grant’s longstanding interest in Mexican affairs dated back to his service in the Mexican-American War from 1846-48, ...which he wrote in memoirs as one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation. During his service with the U.S. Army, Grant observed the culture and customs of Mexican society and admired its beautiful natural landscape. These experiences in Mexico greatly influenced Grant’s civil and human rights milestones during his Presidency. Read more about Grant's experiences in Mexico: https://www.nps.gov//lieutenant-grant-climbs-mount-popocat https://www.nps.gov//general-grant-and-the-fight-to-remove #HispanicHeritageMonth #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque Photo Caption: Hispanic Heritage Month Decorations Photo Description: The main illustration includes tissue decorations known as "papel picado." Each panel of tissue paper represents a park. An orange panel reads "San Antonio Missions" with a mission building. A yellow panel reads "Castillo de San Marcos" with a fort and palm trees. A pink panel reads "Cesar E. Chavez" with a farmer. Photo Credit: NPS/Matt Turner

The Grant Monument Association is pleased to invite you to a live online event to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of General William T. Sherman, whose partnership with General Ulysses S. Grant was instrumental to Union victory during the Civil War. That will be the theme of the Grant Monument Association’s next online colloquy. On Thursday, November 19, at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT please join General David Petraeus and John Marszalek online as they discuss the relationship between Generals Grant and Sherman. Dr. Marszalek is the executive director and managing editor of the Ulysses S. Grant Association. His extensive scholarship on the Civil War includes annotated editions of the memoirs of General Grant and (forthcoming) of General Sherman.

On the morning of October 3, 1862, the Confederate forces attacked the Union forces commanded by Major General William Rosecrans at the key railroad junction of Corinth, Mississippi. The main reason for Corinth’s military importance was because two major railroads, the east-west Memphis and Charleston Railroad, and the north-south Mobile and Ohio Railroad, crossed in its downtown. The fighting lasted until the next day, where the Confederates suffered heavy losses and began t...o withdraw. The Confederate defeat at Corinth provided Ulysses S. Grant with a springboard for future campaigning. Within a few weeks of the Battle of Corinth, he began operations to capture the vital Mississippi River town of Vicksburg. #OnThisDay #FindYourPark #CivilWar #History Photo Caption: Rendition of the Second Battle of Corinth, Mississippi, second day (October 4, 1862). Photo Description: Hand-colored lithograph showing Union forces in blue uniforms attacking Confederate forces wearing grey in the background. Union forces carry a red, white, and blue American flag while some soldiers are laying in the foreground wounded. Photo Credit: Currier and Ives, 1862.

Ulysses S. Grant was fresh out of the United States Military Academy at West Point, when he reported for duty with the 4th U.S. Infantry on September 30, 1843 at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, the largest military post in the country at the time. The 21-year-old second lieutenant found his work as a quartermaster, managing equipment and supplies, to be dull. To escape the monotony of peacetime, Grant visited the Dent family at White Haven, the home of his former ...roommate and friend, Fred Dent. Grant enjoyed the family atmosphere and became a weekly visitor to White Haven, where he first laid eyes on the woman of his dreams, Julia Dent. The two soon began a courtship. They rode their horses around the property, attended parties at Jefferson Barracks, and grew closer in their affection for each other. When Ulysses got orders to move with the 4th U.S. Infantry to Louisiana, he proposed to Julia on the front porch of White Haven. They married four years later, and are now interred together in the largest mausoleum in North America, General Grant National Memorial in New York City. #OnThisDay #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque Photo Caption: Grant at 21. The earliest known portrait. Now first published from the original daguerreotype, owned by Mrs. Louisa Boggs of Macon, MO. Mrs. Boggs is the widow of Henry Boggs, who was Grant's partner in the real estate business in St. Louis during the winter of 1858-59. This portrait has been in her possession since 1860. It is one of a number of portraits and documents brought to light by Mr. Hamlin Garland in his industrious search for material preparatory to the series of studies in Grant's life which begin publication in this number of McClure's. Except Mrs. Boggs and her immediate acquaintance, no one knew of its existence until Mr. Garland discovered it. It was probably taken about 1843, just after Grant's graduation from West Point. It resembles a daguerreotype owned by Mrs. George W. Childs, which was reproduced in McClure's Magazine for May, 1894. Photo Credit: Frontispiece to December 1896 issue of McClure's Magazine. Garland, Hamlin (December, 1896). "The Early Life of Ulysses Grant". McClure's Magazine VIII (2): 125-139.