Letters of Ulysses S. Grant to His Father and His Youngest Sister | Page 4

determining him to give
up farming.
To his sister Mary.]
St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 7th, 1858.
DEAR SISTER:
Your letter was received in due time and I should have answered it
immediately, but that I had mailed a letter from Julia to Jennie the
morning of the receipt of yours. I thought then to wait for two or three
weeks; by that time there was so much sickness in my family, and
Freddy so dangerously ill, that I thought I would not write until his fate
was decided. He was nearly taken from us by the bilious, then by the
typhoid fever; but he is now convalescing. Some seven of the negroes
have been sick. Mrs. Sharp is here on a visit, and she and one of her
children are sick; and Julia and I are both sick with chills and fever. If I
had written to you earlier it would have been whilst Fred's case was a
doubtful one, and I did not want to distress you when it could have
done no good to anyone.--I have been thinking of paying you a visit
this fall, but I now think it extremely doubtful whether I shall be able to.
Not being able to even attend to my hands, much less work myself, I
am getting behindhand, so that I shall have to stay here and attend to
my business. Cannot some of you come and pay us a visit? Jennie has
not answered Julia's letter yet. Did she receive it? I was coming to the
city the day it was written to hear a political speech, and it was too late
to get it in the post office, so I gave it to a young man to put in the next
morning. It is for this reason I asked the question.
Write to me soon. I hope you have had none of the sickness we have
been troubled with.
Your Brother,

ULYSSES.
To MARY F. GRANT, Covington, Ky.

[Soon after the date of this letter Grant sold at auction his stock, crops,
and farming implements, and gave up farming. His father, Jesse Root
Grant, had founded a leather store in Galena with the expectation of
establishing his three sons in the business, and withdrawing from all
connection with it himself. It is this business opportunity that is
referred to here with characteristic independence, "I should prefer your
offer to any one of mere salary that could be offered." But it was not
until May, 1860, that he went to Galena, nominally as a clerk, in reality
as a future partner in the business.]
St. Louis, Oct. 1st, 1858.
DEAR FATHER:
I arrived at home on Tuesday evening, and, it being my "chill" day, of
course felt very badly. Julia had been much worse during my absence,
but had improved again so that I found her about as when I left home.
Fred, has improved steadily, and can now hear nearly as well as before
his sickness. The rest of the family are tolerably well, with the
exception of Mr. Dent whose health seems to be about as when I left.
Mr. Dent and myself will make a sale this fall and get clear of all the
stock on the place, and then rent out the cleared land and sell about four
hundred acres of the north end of the place. As I explained to you, this
will include my place. I shall plan to go to Covington towards Spring,
and would prefer your offer to any one of mere salary that could be
offered. I do not want any place for permanent stipulated pay, but want
the prospect of one day doing business for myself. There is a pleasure
in knowing that one's income depends somewhat upon his own
exertions and business capacity, that cannot be felt when so much and
no more is coming in, regardless of the success of the business engaged
in or the manner in which it is done.

Mr. Dent thinks I had better take the boy he has given Julia along with
me, and let him learn the farrier's business. He is a very smart, active
boy, capable of making anything; but this matter I will leave entirely to
you. I can leave him here and get about three dollars per month for him
now, and more as he gets older. Give my love to all at home.
Yours truly,
ULYSSES.
To J.R. GRANT, ESQ., Covington, Ky.

[After giving up farming Grant engaged in the real estate business in St.
Louis, with a Mr. Boggs as partner. The girls referred to are his three
sisters. Simpson is the brother next in age to himself.]
St. Louis, Mo., March 12th, 1859.
DEAR FATHER:
It has now been over a month, I believe, since I