After that General U. S. Grant was called, "Unconditional Surrender Grant."

Other splendid victories were won by Grant. Everywhere he faced the foe tirelessly, determined to win if, as he once said, "it takes thirty years."

ULYSSES S. GRANT

Finally President Lincoln placed Grant in command of all the Union forces.

He directed the movements of the army of 700,000 men.

Grant set out to capture Richmond, the southern capital.

General Lee, the brave and soldierly southern commander, had defeated

the armies of five Union generals. Could Grant succeed?

It was a hard task, and only a man with Grant's strength of purpose and will to conquer could have done it. At last he was successful, and in April, 1865, Lee surrendered his whole army of 26,000 men.

Grant was a generous conquerer. He did not boast over his wonderful victory. Instead he treated General Lee and his officers with the greatest courtesy, allowing them to keep their swords.

He told Lee's men to take their horses home with them.

"They will need them to do the spring plowing on their farms," he said.

When the northern soldiers, in their rejoicing, began to fire salutes, Grant stopped them. "The war is over,' he said, "these soldiers are our own countrymen again."

Every honor was shown Grant at the close of the war. He was so popular, and so highly respected, that in 1868 he was elected President of the United States, and reelected in 1872.

While Grant was President he did everything he could to bring about friendship between the North and South. Before his terms were over, all the states that had seceded had sent their representatives to Congress again. Grant, with his wife, now made a trip around the world. He was honored by every nation.

He then went into business in New York, putting all his money into it. He was unable to attend to it himself because of ill health, and the business failed. He lost all.

His health became poorer, and he realized that his wife and children would have nothing when he was gone. So he set to work to write a book, the story of his life.

It was called "Memoirs." Day by day he wrote, sometimes hardly able to hold the pen in his hand. But true to his old spirit, he stuck to his task, and a few days before he died he finished the book.

It was a wonderful story, and people all over the world were eager to buy and read it.

His widow received more than $400,000 from its sale.

Grant was buried in New York. Visitors may see the beautiful tomb in which his body now rests. It is on the banks of the Hudson River. Americans contributed thousands of dollars to build it.

It is a fitting memorial to a great man, a man whose memory will always be loved and honored by the American people.

Questions and Topics for Discussion

Tell for what the letters U. S. in General Grant's name stand.
Why was he called "Unconditional Surrender" Grant?

Where was Grant born? How did he spend his boyhood?
From what school did he graduate?

In what war did he take part soon after?

To what rank was he promoted?

In what business did he engage after the war?

How old was Grant when the Civil War broke out?

What did Grant do? What rank did he receive?

What was his first success?

Repeat his reply to the Confederate commander, when the latter asked what terms Grant would give.

How did he face the foe?

What did President Lincoln place Grant in command of?

Tell about his capture of Richmond.

How did he treat Lee and the southern soldiers after they surrendered?

What honor was shown Grant at the close of the war?

To what high office was he elected?

How many terms did he serve?

What trip did Grant and his wife make after his terms as President were over?

What happened after he went into business in New York?

What book did Grant write?

Where was Grant buried?

Of what was it the story?

Have you ever seen his tomb on the banks of the Hudson River? Tell in your own words the story of General U. S. Grant.

LESSON XXVI

SOME OF AMERICA'S GIFTS TO THE WORLD

America has made many gifts to the world. We can speak here of only a few of them.

Americans have great skill in working out new ideas on machinery. They are known the world over as inventors. Some of these inventions have saved labor to a wonderful degree.

The Cotton Gin

One of the earliest inventions was Whitney's cotton gin (1793).

The cotton gin was used to separate the cotton seeds

from the cotton. It cleaned ten times as much cotton in

a day as a man could.

By using power, it cleans one thousand times as much. The use of this machine made cotton growing very profitable, and it became a great southern industry.

Large factories were built in the North, where the cotton was manufactured into thread and cloth.

To-day there are many cotton mills in the South also. The invention of the cotton gin has helped to make us a great industrial nation.

The Steamboat

In 1807 Robert Fulton operated the first successful steamboat.

The Clermont, as it was named, steamed up the Hudson River for a distance of one hundred and fifty miles, in something over thirty hours.

The people were filled with wonder and terror as, from the banks of the river, they watched the little boat.

Twelve years later, in 1819, the first steamboat crossed the ocean.

The invention of the steamboat completely changed ocean travel. Speedy ocean palaces now make a trip to Europe in a little more than five days. They are very different from the uncertain and dangerous sailing vessels of Fulton's time.

The steamboat helped in the settlement of our West, as it could be used on our principal lakes and rivers.