Union General U.S. Grant Mounted

Ulysses S. Grant has been widely acclaimed by both his contemporaries and historians as an exceptional horseman. Grant was a commanding general – the first to reach the same rank as George Washington. Born in Ohio near the Ohio River, Grant grew up around horses. He came to admire and love them, and possessing a natural affinity, rode, travelled, and managed horses at an early age. His father Jesse placed much confidence in his ability and gave him tasks involving horses that were rarely expected of a youth. From boyhood through his illustrious military career, Grant had a well-established reputation for training and managing horses. As a cadet he set a high jump record at West Point that stood for a quarter- century. Grant would ride several horses during the Civil War and was particularly attached to one named Cincinnati.