Presidential Trivia--Arlington Cemetary

Well the thing to remember is he was being honored much more for his service in the Civil War then as President. He knew from the beginning how to defeat Lee when so many other generals had failed. Grab ahold of him and dont let go! He found a core of very good Generals he trusted and then gave them their orders and backed them completely. Sherman and Sheridan were two who come to mind ("Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other." William Sherman). He was not a political General ala McClellan who tended to see other contemporaries as rivals for office.

Remember when died in 1885 the Civil War had been over only 20 years and there was still a great many Union veterans who still revered him.

Agreed. As a General, much deserved honor, and I understand the large mausoleum.
As a President, and thus on the money, no so much.

I also admit I don't know a lot about Grant. I'm still stuck trying to understand the late 18th Century. I'm just now getting to the development of the constitution. I don't know if I'll live long enough to get to the Civil War.

For good overviews of America's key Civil War generals, PBS produced 80 minute biographies of both Grant and Lee earlier this year through its American Experience series. Highly recommended.

Other portraits that have been used on the $50 bill
The first bills featured Alexander Hamilton,followed by a very short lived version featuring Henry Clay.
Next came Ben Franklin, Edward Everett, William Seward,and then General Sherman. Grant was put on in the years leading up to World War One.
In the late1800s, a $50 bill was put out that featured two seperate portraits of George Washington- crossing the Delaware on the left side of the bill and at Valley forge on the right.
Back then, the US had several different types of currency in circulation at the same time. Not only were the bills much larger, but most were far more ornate. Some featured several colors and are called rainbow notes.

Truman was an interesting president. Did you know that while in high school he came up with idea of paying to watch high school sports (created the high school booster program) ? At the time you had to pay to play and it was hard for his family to pay for all his brothers to play football. Read that bit of info in a book I read to by boys when they were younger.

Lt.ax
Never heard that story. Sounds like him. Today, we'd probably say that Harry was always willing to "take ownership" of an issue. I think it's a good quality -- if you're constructive.

My favorite story -- I probably don't have some of the details exactly right, but I think the gist is right, and true: he went to bury a veteran in his home state. When they were about to do it, the family was informed that since the vet was black, he wasn't allowed into that cemetary.

So Harry picked up the family and coffin, and flew them to Washington and had him buried in Arlington.

one more thing... for N'cat
Truman was an avid walker. It drove Secret Service nuts. He'd want to get out and walk around Washington regularly.

Truman is another fine example of a President little appreciated at the time but in retrospect a true giant. Was fortunate during my under grad degree in Political Science at the University of Florida to have Dr John Spanier as a professor. He is the author of "The Truman-MacArthur Contorversy and the Korean War".

And fitting with this board Truman was of course an avid poker player!

Wasn't it Truman who said (in regard to being president or politics in general) "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." ??

Re Grant being a good general, a story was told on one of the History Channel shows, somebody (another general?) was talking to President Lincoln in the manner of jealously 'tattling' on Grant, telling Lincoln that Grant was drinking fairly heavily. Supposedly Lincoln said "Well find out his favorite brand of whiskey. I will send him a case." Something like that.

as I always say...enough about me

with the family at arlington at least 15 years ago. saw the changing of the guard. it is very a very quiet place.

Trivia that's easy. who is the heavy weight boxer buried there?