U.S. Grant’s Reply to a Letter From the Late Gen. James McPherson’s 87-Year-Old Grandma

News of the death of Union Maj. Gen. James Birdseye McPherson at the Battle of Atlanta on July 22, 1864, hit those who knew him best hardest. Ulysses S. Grant broke down and wept, newspapers reported. McPherson's grandmother, Lydia Slocum, read the report and wrote a letter to the bereaved general. Here's her letter, and Grant's reply.
"Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.
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Image: National Portrait Gallery.
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[@susanschaffner4422]

If you love and respect Ulysses Grant, this correspondence should only add to understanding his deep sensitivity and leadership.

[@jago76]

Thank you for posting this story. It speaks to the character of General Grant as much as General McPherson.

[@miracledaysband]

Wow. Letter writing is truly a lost art. This was beautiful.

[@McPherson952]

I’d like to correct the pronunciation of Birdseye. It’s “ bird see”, not “birds eye” as you’d guess. The Birdseye name was taken from a surname of friends of Jame’s father. Thanks Ron, for doing a 2nd story from my Civil War Family, McPherson and the first one, Sylvester Leaming. You’re story telling, and research, continues to entertain me. McP’s love affair with Miss Emily Hoffman is perhaps the biggest story of McP’s life, more than his military accomplishments. In fact as one of the “ Three sons of Ohio”, including Grant and Sherman, they were all very close to one another and both believed McP, if he had lived, would have healed the county’s strife and perhaps been a President. As I have studied McP and even presented his story to various military organizations, the one thing that stood out was his strong belief in the Union and the high esteem he held by all who knew him including John Bell Hood, his friend, classmate and ultimately the commander he faced off against at Atlanta. In death, he was revered by all, including the people of Vicksburg for whom McP helped recover from their major destruction. His boyhood friend, President Rutherford B Hayes spoke at his funeral as did Tecumseh Sherman. At his funeral, it was said that many generations who visited his grave would learn of his greatness, but today so few see his statue in McPherson Square in Washington DC near the White House and now, sadly, consider him, “just another dead Yankee”. I’ll give you this Ron, you pronounced his name correctly as there is no “fear” in McPherson! Rick McPherson Kansas City

[@lancemanfredi6123]

@McPherson952 I just read your fine comments addressed to Ron. Very fine. I only recently discovered Ron's podcasts and enjoy and appreciate them more & more. Thank you for sharing some of your family history.

[@RakkasanRakkasan]

Sir these wonderful stories and tidbits of information you provide and share with us is epicly wonderful. You bring history alive and color old photos in to show us real people.

[@timothyhartzell7095]

It's also interesting to note that she lived an additional eleven years after the letter; to see Grant himself president for two terms.

[@douglawyer51]

That was awesome, first time listener and I just subscribed. Beautiful work, thank you. History is important,I ran into a college kid at our local rec center and age came up. I told him I was born when JFK was president. He said who is JFK? Sad and scary.

[@oldschool1993]

She would have been born in 1777 and during her life the country was born, fought 2 wars with Britain, one with Mexico and one with itself and she would have known all of the first 18 presidents of this country.

[@timmylee41]

Sherman wept as well, very touching letters sir.

[@richardliles4415]

Thank you for the heartfelt letters you have read to us, I cannot blame you, but thank you for the loving tears from my eyes.

[@duradim1]

People were so classy and eloquent in those days. These letters make you mourn the loss of man you never even knew about. God blessed us with so great a heritage.

[@forwheelinallday]

I'm always taken back at how eloquently people wrote back in the 19th century. Most with only a grade school education.

[@googlepeace]

... and usually the excellent penmanship makes my cursive look primitive 👀✍️

[@davidweihe6052]

Grant was a graduate of West Point, which would be the equivalent of a BSCivilEng, with a minor in Military Studies. All graduates of West Point in those days were CivEs, even Custer.

[@maryshanley329]

They read and heard great literature. That is rare today. That must stop.

[@sbgroen]

Could there be a more endearing, articulate reply?

[@douglashoppe310]

Thank you. I appreciate Grant even more now, and am sorry I will never know McPherson.

[@billgresh1956]

“Your bereavement is great but cannot exceed mine.” What a beautiful and sensitive expression of grief a bit like Lincoln’s letter to Mrs Bixby.

[@keithrosenberg5486]

Grant commanded all of the armies during the siege of Petersburg. He made his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac.

[@mattpiepenburg8769]

As usual, your interest in the human overlap with the military contexts is much appreciated and well received. Thanks again for your wonderful contributions to our evolving understanding of this pivotal conflict.

[@jamesorth6460]

I believe the McPherson County in Kansas and the town McPherson which is the seat of the County are named after him

[@akaJackLugar]

It is truly amazing of the number of great generals from my home state of Ohio. Makes me proud and humble at the same time.

[@WLBarton4466]

Living i n Atlanta there us Fort MacPherson. If Ft. Mac, Colin Powell's old assignment, is the same, it is fitting to be in Atlanta.

[@joconnor57]

What a fantastic piece of history, thanks for producing this segment. Lydia Slocum was truly eloquent in her letter to General Grant and she was a rare witness to our great American story.

[@crapphone7744]

How bright a star, too soon extinguished!

[@mitchellrose3620]

Military letter writing must be an academy taught subject. Several officers and even upper level noncoms seem to value respect as well as honor.

[@brookskelley]

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this truly poignant exchange. I did, however, wonder why you didn't take advantage of the obvious and use Lincoln's own word to point out that she was nearly "four score and seven years" old. Anyway, thank you for making history more than just facts on a page with such personal touches.

[@dixieleeranch]

Ron, another great true story. Love it. Well done and keep it up.

[@gregdavis19]

She sent a cordial letter to General Grant, she knew there was a larger purpose for the war than her grandson. Unlike today where the General would receive a condescending letter blaming him for everything that happened.

[@tscully1504]

Grant was an amazing man and general.

[@cht2162]

An underrated President and a great biographer.

[@tomjones2202]

Excellent! I have always admired General McPherson and I have heard everything you have said here. Great research. I often wonder when Sherman wrote to McPherson's fiance about his death how SHE felt knowing that Sherman had turned down his request for leave be married. I believe she never married. How sad. Sherman had to live with that.

[@gregorybaltzer2736]

She and Sherman died in the same year..1891

[@jeffreykostbar9859]

great history, lost, but no longer lost

[@kevinjohnson-lf3kj]

Long Live the Union .

[@earlyriser8998]

what a great set of letters

[@nimitz1739]

The fact that he had friends on both sides, makes it even more bizarre that he chose to die instead of surrendered. Seems like he was so loved that he would’ve been taking good care of as a prisoner.

[@Chris-ut6eq]

👍 👍

[@SparkyWaxAll]

Awesome post *btw, City Point VA now part of Hopewell VA if anyone wants to visit. Grant’s cabin is still here on the former Epps plantation.

[@francisebbecke2727]

Thanks for quite a story!

[@tlee1827]

made me cry

[@lifeonthecivilwarresearchtrail]

I got choked up when I first read it.

[@panthercreek60]

Good old u s grant - America's last slave owner

[@brunopadovani7347]

Grant was NOT a slave owner. He abhorred slavery.

[@panthercreek60]

@brunopadovani7347 he owned a slave. He kept her even after the war was over. Just for clarity, General Lee abhorred slavery, as did General Jackson, General Stuart, and many others of the officer corps of the CSA. Itcrwally doesn't matter. They all knew that slavery was not the cause of the war. Including Grant

[@davidweihe6052]

@@brunopadovani7347TBF, he was a slave owner for a few days, because his father-in-law gave him a few, and he manumitted them on the next day available. The last slave owners were Cherokee tribesmen like Confederate Brig. Gen. Stands Wadie.

[@spacehonky6315]

I think Grant did briefly own one slave. I can't remember if the slave was a wedding gift from his father-in-law, or part of Julia Dent's inheritance. Grant eventually freed the man, even though he was flat broke and could have sold him.

[@kneeinyourface]

Beautiful story.