Tyler Maxey’ s fascination with all things history began at an early age with a Presidential baseball that intrigued his interest of the faces he saw. Deeply connected to American history and many historic figures, Maxey has spent his whole life learning to connect the stories that have shaped the United States of America. This column aims to share those insights from Tyler Maxey, The History Buff.
The year is 1853 and you are in Fort Humboldt, California (up near Oregon) at the newly constructed military outpost. One particular downtrodden soldier catches your attention. A former war hero, this soldier now finds himself thousands of miles away from his pregnant wife and 2-year-old son, burdened with financial hardship and under pressure from his boss to improve his work performance. Despite promising himself he would not, he continually finds himself drowning his sorrows with alcohol. This problem has caused his boss to demand him to either reform or resign. He ultimately decided to resign in 1854.
That soldier retreated to his family home discouraged and endured seven years of struggle with difficult jobs to provide for his family. This struggling, desperate man would have had a hard time believing he would become the hero of the Civil War in less than 10 years. He would have been shocked to find out that in 15 years he would be the President of the United States. That is the story of Ulysses S. Grant.
I have always admired the leadership of this great general. His journey from depressed soldier to becoming the 18th President of the United States has taught me a lot, and I believe this journey is a valuable lesson to Fresno Christian students on overcoming hardship and becoming the best person you can be.
When the Civil War started in 1861, Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to join the Union Army. One of many who answered the call was Ulysses S. Grant, who rejoined the army. He quickly rose in prominence, spearheading victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. After these battles, Grant was camping at Pittsburg Landing when suddenly his army was attacked by 40,000 Confederate troops.
Grant’s army was unprepared on the first day of battle, losing massively and things looking bleak. Luckily, bleak situations were Grant’s specialty. His attitude in the face of adversity is shown in an exchange with William T. Sherman when Sherman went up to Grant and told him, “Well, Grant, we’ve had the devil’s own day haven’t we?” Grant simply replied, “Yes. Lick ’em tomorrow, though.”
Grant ended up winning the battle and showed the difference between him and the other generals fighting for the Union around this time. Grant knew that no matter how hard the challenge he was facing, he could handle it because of the difficulties he had overcome earlier in his life. The Battle of Shiloh is a testament to Grant’s strength under hard times and can inspire us as we face challenges in our own daily lives. The world may have gotten us today and hurt us badly, but we can always “Lick ’em tomorrow.”
But how did the depressed, struggling drunk get over his challenges to rise to military fame in the first place?
The answer is he did it with a little help from his friends. It has been said that behind every great man is a great woman. That was certainly true for Grant. His wife Julia held Grant to the vow of abstinence he made at the beginning of the war. Every time she was with him she would ensure Grant was not only not drinking, but also that he was never in a position that may lead him to drink.
When Julia was not around, Grant had his friend John Rawlins to make sure Grant stayed true to his vow. Rawlins believed that Grant was a great leader, and even at his lowest point, he saw the potential despite the faults. In this, I am reminded of the verse Galatians 6:2 where Paul says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Grant’s ability to see hope despite desperate situations in the Civil War, was a byproduct of others seeing potential in him in his most distressed situations.
There are two major takeaways I have gained from the life of Ulysses S. Grant. The first is that Grant’s great achievements were not achieved despite his struggles, but because of them. The character he developed through overcoming adversity made him the great leader that helped win the war.
The second thing I learned is that a leader is only great if they have a great community. Julia Grant and John Rawlins believed in him when no one else did. Their belief shaped his character and he became the person they believed him to be. These are lessons I find all throughout the Bible as well. Every great leader I can think of (Abraham, Moses, David, Peter) overcame adversity in order to achieve what God had called them to do, and all of them were also surrounded by others who helped them along the way. My prayer is that we will all carry these lessons in our lives as well.
To read more from Tyler Maxey, The History Buff visit Column: Jimmy Carter celebrates 100th Birthday
For more from The Feather visit Alternate college experiences open new doors or Honor Flight: Veteran George Clausen.
Tabitha Peters • Oct 25, 2024 at 11:25 pm
Great job, Tyler! Keep up the good work