Fred Grant at Vicksburg
It was a wonderful evening on March 23rd, when the Civil War Forum of Metropolitan New York met at Draught on East 56th Street. The evening featured lecturer Albert Nofi who has edited and annotated the memoirs of Frederick Grant during the Civil War. Mr. Nofi’s book, Fred Grant at Vicksburg, provides a personal account of Fred’s experiences. Mr. Nofi became interested in this topic when he came across a speech given by Fred Grant at a 1907 reunion of the Army of Tennessee. The speech documented Fred Grant’s time at Vicksburg and was a standard speech he gave many times over the years and was frequently printed in newspapers. Although not always reliable when it comes to names and dates, Mr. Nofi has done an excellent job of editing and annotating the original text to present an accurate historical account. In addition, the book is an interesting and intimate account of the life of a thirteen year old living with troops during a major Civil War battle.
Frederick Dent Grant was the eldest son of Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant. Born in 1850, Fred Grant was thirteen years old when he spent three months with his father at Vicksburg. Described as a “Free Range Kid”, Fred lived with the troops, shared their rations, slept wherever he could but was frequently cold and hungry. While the siege of Vicksburg wore on, Fred had numerous adventures and met important Civil War figures such as General Sherman and Admiral Porter. In his travels, Fred picked up souvenirs, was well known among the troops, and had the habit of “sneaking out” to follow his father, none of which General Grant seemed to mind. At one point, Fred witnessed the demonstration of the Union Repeating Gun, an early but primitive version of a machine gun. Fred also had misadventures. He contracted typhoid fever and in May of 1863, he was shot in the leg at the Battle of Black River Bridge. Despite these misfortunes, Fred Grant seems to have made the most of his time at Vicksburg and was certainly aware of being a witness to history. In his various writings, Fred Grant documents the work of “colored troops” and praises their heroism and bravery. This provides significant documentation of the presence of African American troops and the important role they played in winning the Civil War. Following the Civil War, Fred Grant entered West Point and ultimately attained the rank of Major General. He fought in both the Spanish American War and the Philippine American war. Frederick Grant died of cancer in 1912 and is buried in the West Point Cemetery.
Jay Termine and Ed Hochman present a certificate of appreciation to Albert A. Nofi.
Fred Grant at Vicksburg as edited and annotated by Albert Nofi gives an unusual perspective on one of the most significant battles of the Civil War. Mr. Nofi’s presentation to the Civil War Forum of Metropolitan New York brought to life the experiences of a thirteen year old boy living the life of a man during a battle that helped precipitate a national victory. As Mr. Nofi pointed out, the memoirs of Fred Grant are unusual because he was both an “outsider” during the events of the Civil War (he was tagging along with soldiers but was not enrolled in the ranks) while also giving an “insider” view of the action as he witnessed it. It was a wonderful evening.