Frederick Dent Grant
Encyclopedia
Frederick Dent Grant was a soldier and United States
minister to Austria-Hungary
. Grant was the first son of General of the Army and President of the United States
Ulysses S. Grant
and Julia Grant
. He was named after his uncle, Frederick Tracy Dent
. The Grant family came from a proud line of Scottish
heritage.
when Frederick was born in St. Louis, Missouri
. The family moved as the senior Grant was assigned to posts in Michigan and New York. Frederick spent his early childhood at his paternal grandparent's house while his father was stationed on the West Coast. After his father's resignation from the army, the family lived in St. Louis and in Galena, Illinois
. He attended public school in Galena until the outbreak of the American Civil War
in 1861. Grant's father organized a volunteer regiment and was made colonel. Frederick accompanied his father when the regiment was sent to northern Missouri, but he was sent home when it arrived. He then rejoined his father off and on at several campaigns during the war.
in 1866 and graduated in 1871. He was assigned to the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment
. He took a leave of absence to work with the Union Pacific Railroad
as a civil engineer. Late in 1871, he was aide-de-camp
to General William Tecumseh Sherman
in Europe. He rejoined the 4th Cavalry in Texas in 1872.
In 1873, he was assigned to the staff of General Philip Sheridan
and promoted to lieutenant colonel. He was on the Yellowstone Expedition and was with George Armstrong Custer
during the Black Hills expedition
.
In 1874, Grant married Ida Marie Honoré
(1854–1930), the daughter of Henry Hamilton Honoré
, who made his fortune in Chicago real estate. They were married in Chicago and had two children: Julia Dent Grant (born 1876) and Ulysses III
(born 1881). (Note: Ulysses IV
was the son of Ulysses S. (Buck) Grant, Jr.
)
The birth of his first child, Julia Dent Grant, in essence saved his life. Grant received leave to travel from Custer's unit in the Black Hills of South Dakota to Washington, D.C. for her birth. Had he remained with Custer's unit, he would have been in the Battle of the Little Bighorn
(June 24–25, 1876) in which Custer and five companies of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army
were killed.
In 1877, he took a leave of absence to accompany his father on a trip around the world.
In 1878, Grant was in the Bannock War
and was in the fight against Victorio
in New Mexico.
cadet, James Webster Smith, from South Carolina
, was admitted into the United States Military Academy
. Smith was sponsored by Senator Adelbert Ames
and nominated by Representative Solomon L. Hoge
. Smith was hand picked for his outstanding character and scholarly ability by David Clark, a northern philanthropist. While at West Point, Smith was forced to endure immense racism
, violence, and shunning
by other West Point attendees. Among Smith's harassers included Frederick Dent Grant, a fellow cadet. The instigators
, including Fred, were intent on driving Smith from the Academy.
Smith wrote to Clark about the racial hazing, where upon Clark went to the White House
to talk with President Grant. Fred was also at the meeting between Clark and the President. Clark advocated that Grant stop the hazing. Grant said, "Don't take him away; the battle may as well be now as anytime." The young Fred was noted to say in front of his father, "the time had not come to send colored boys to West Point." When Clark disagreed, Fred said, "Well, no damned nigger
will ever graduate from West Point." Smith was later discharged after failing an unconventional private examination test by Professor Peter S. Mitchie. Fred Grant denied being a leader of the cadets who hazed
Smith for being an African American; however, there is evidence to suggest he actively participated.
In 1887
, he ran on the Republican ticket for Secretary of State of New York
, but was defeated by the Democratic incumbent Frederick Cook
.
In 1889, President Benjamin Harrison
appointed him Minister to Austria-Hungary. After Grover Cleveland
became president, Grant was allowed to continue in his post. Grant resigned in 1893.
Grant became a commissioner of police
in New York City in 1894, an office he held until 1898. He served alongside future President Theodore Roosevelt.
When the Spanish-American War
started in 1898, Grant was colonel of the 14th New York Volunteers and was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers. He served in Puerto Rico
. In 1899, Grant was sent to the Philippines
for service in the Philippine-American War
, where he remained until 1902. In 1901, he was made a brigadier general in the Regular Army
.
When he returned to the United States, he held various commands and was promoted to major general in 1906. At the time of his death, he was the commander for the Eastern Division which included the Department of the East and the Department of the Gulf. He died of cancer, the same disease that had claimed his father, at Fort Jay
on Governors Island
in New York City on April 12, 1912, and was buried in West Point Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
minister to Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. Grant was the first son of General of the Army and President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
and Julia Grant
Julia Grant
Julia Boggs Dent-Grant , was the wife of the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, and was First Lady of the United States from 1869 to 1877.-Background:...
. He was named after his uncle, Frederick Tracy Dent
Frederick Tracy Dent
Frederick Tracy Dent was an American general, born in White Haven, St. Louis County, Missouri He graduated at West Point in 1843, was assigned as brevet second lieutenant to the 6th US Infantry, served in the Southern campaign during the Mexican War, and was brevetted first lieutenant and captain...
. The Grant family came from a proud line of Scottish
Scottish American
Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
heritage.
Early life
His father was in the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
when Frederick was born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The family moved as the senior Grant was assigned to posts in Michigan and New York. Frederick spent his early childhood at his paternal grandparent's house while his father was stationed on the West Coast. After his father's resignation from the army, the family lived in St. Louis and in Galena, Illinois
Galena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
. He attended public school in Galena until the outbreak of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in 1861. Grant's father organized a volunteer regiment and was made colonel. Frederick accompanied his father when the regiment was sent to northern Missouri, but he was sent home when it arrived. He then rejoined his father off and on at several campaigns during the war.
Early military career
Grant was appointed to West PointUnited States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in 1866 and graduated in 1871. He was assigned to the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment
U.S. 4th Cavalry Regiment
The 4th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage is traced back to the mid-19th century. It was one of the most effective units of the Army against Indians on the Texas frontier. Today the regiment exists as separate squadrons within the U.S. Army...
. He took a leave of absence to work with the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
as a civil engineer. Late in 1871, he was aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to General William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
in Europe. He rejoined the 4th Cavalry in Texas in 1872.
In 1873, he was assigned to the staff of General Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
and promoted to lieutenant colonel. He was on the Yellowstone Expedition and was with George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
during the Black Hills expedition
Custer's 1874 Black Hills Expedition
The Black Hills Expedition was a United States Army expedition in 1874 led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer that set out on July 2, 1874 from modern day Bismarck, North Dakota, which was then Fort Abraham Lincoln in the Dakota Territory, with orders to travel to the previously...
.
In 1874, Grant married Ida Marie Honoré
Ida Marie Honoré
Ida Marie Honoré Grant was an American socialite, philanthropist, and ambassador's wife.-Biography:Born Ida Marie Honoré in Louisville, Kentucky, her father was businessman Henry Hamilton Honoré. Ida attended St...
(1854–1930), the daughter of Henry Hamilton Honoré
Henry Honore
Henry Hamilton Honoré was an American businessman.Honoré moved to Chicago, Illinois, from Louisville, Kentucky in 1855 and made his fortune in real estate. Henry Honoré fathered six children with his wife, Eliza J...
, who made his fortune in Chicago real estate. They were married in Chicago and had two children: Julia Dent Grant (born 1876) and Ulysses III
Ulysses S. Grant III
Ulysses Simpson Grant III was the son of Frederick Dent Grant, and the grandson of General of the Army and President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant. He was an American soldier and planner...
(born 1881). (Note: Ulysses IV
Ulysses S. Grant IV
Ulysses S. Grant IV , was the son of Ulysses S. Grant, Jr. and the grandson of General of the Army and President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant. He was an American geologist and paleontologist known for his work on the fossil mollusks of the California Pacific Coast...
was the son of Ulysses S. (Buck) Grant, Jr.
Ulysses S. (Buck) Grant, Jr.
Ulysses Simpson "Buck" Grant, Jr., was an American attorney and entrepreneur. He was the second son of President Ulysses S. Grant.-Early life:...
)
The birth of his first child, Julia Dent Grant, in essence saved his life. Grant received leave to travel from Custer's unit in the Black Hills of South Dakota to Washington, D.C. for her birth. Had he remained with Custer's unit, he would have been in the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
(June 24–25, 1876) in which Custer and five companies of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
were killed.
In 1877, he took a leave of absence to accompany his father on a trip around the world.
In 1878, Grant was in the Bannock War
Bannock War
The Bannock War was a series of conflicts in 1878 between various Bannock, Northern Shoshone and Paiute tribes against the United States.- Background :...
and was in the fight against Victorio
Victorio
Victorio was a warrior and chief of the Chihenne band of the Chiricahua Apaches in what is now the American states of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua....
in New Mexico.
West Point controversy
On June 1, 1870, the first African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
cadet, James Webster Smith, from South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, was admitted into the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
. Smith was sponsored by Senator Adelbert Ames
Adelbert Ames
Adelbert Ames was an American sailor, soldier, and politician. He served with distinction as a Union Army general during the American Civil War. As a Radical Republican and a Carpetbagger, he was military governor, Senator and civilian governor in Reconstruction-era Mississippi...
and nominated by Representative Solomon L. Hoge
Solomon L. Hoge
Solomon Lafayette Hoge was a lawyer, soldier, judge and politician in Ohio and South Carolina.Hoge was born in Pickrelltown, Ohio, and he received his early childhood education at the public schools in the nearby city of Bellefontaine...
. Smith was hand picked for his outstanding character and scholarly ability by David Clark, a northern philanthropist. While at West Point, Smith was forced to endure immense racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, violence, and shunning
Shunning
Shunning can be the act of social rejection, or mental rejection. Social rejection is when a person or group deliberately avoids association with, and habitually keeps away from an individual or group. This can be a formal decision by a group, or a less formal group action which will spread to all...
by other West Point attendees. Among Smith's harassers included Frederick Dent Grant, a fellow cadet. The instigators
Instigators
Instigators were an anarcho-punk band from Dewsbury, England, formed in 1980. The original line-up split up in the mid-1980s, but the band carried on into the 1990s.-History:...
, including Fred, were intent on driving Smith from the Academy.
Smith wrote to Clark about the racial hazing, where upon Clark went to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
to talk with President Grant. Fred was also at the meeting between Clark and the President. Clark advocated that Grant stop the hazing. Grant said, "Don't take him away; the battle may as well be now as anytime." The young Fred was noted to say in front of his father, "the time had not come to send colored boys to West Point." When Clark disagreed, Fred said, "Well, no damned nigger
Nigger
Nigger is a noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people , and also as an informal slang term, among other contexts. It is a common ethnic slur...
will ever graduate from West Point." Smith was later discharged after failing an unconventional private examination test by Professor Peter S. Mitchie. Fred Grant denied being a leader of the cadets who hazed
Hazed
Hazed is the 14th book in The Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers series. It was first published in February 2007 by Aladdin Paperbacks an imprint of Simon & Schuster.-Plot summary:...
Smith for being an African American; however, there is evidence to suggest he actively participated.
Non-military career
He resigned from the army in 1881, and assisted his father in preparing the latter's memoirs. During this time, he was in business in New York City.In 1887
New York state election, 1887
The 1887 New York state election was held on November 8, 1887, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer and the State Engineer, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.-History:The United Labor...
, he ran on the Republican ticket for Secretary of State of New York
Secretary of State of New York
The Secretary of State of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York.The current Secretary of State of New York is Cesar A...
, but was defeated by the Democratic incumbent Frederick Cook
Frederick Cook (politician)
Frederick Cook was an American businessman and politician.-Life:...
.
In 1889, President Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
appointed him Minister to Austria-Hungary. After Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
became president, Grant was allowed to continue in his post. Grant resigned in 1893.
Grant became a commissioner of police
New York City Police Commissioner
The New York City Police Commissioner is the head of the New York City Police Department, appointed by the Mayor of New York City. Governor Theodore Roosevelt, in one of his final acts before becoming Vice President of the United States in March 1901, signed legislation replacing the Police Board...
in New York City in 1894, an office he held until 1898. He served alongside future President Theodore Roosevelt.
Later military career
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
started in 1898, Grant was colonel of the 14th New York Volunteers and was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers. He served in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. In 1899, Grant was sent to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
for service in the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
, where he remained until 1902. In 1901, he was made a brigadier general in the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
.
When he returned to the United States, he held various commands and was promoted to major general in 1906. At the time of his death, he was the commander for the Eastern Division which included the Department of the East and the Department of the Gulf. He died of cancer, the same disease that had claimed his father, at Fort Jay
Fort Jay
Fort Jay is a harbor fortification and the name of the former Army post located on Governors Island in New York Harbor. Fort Jay is the oldest defensive structure on the island, built to defend Upper New York Bay, but has served other purposes...
on Governors Island
Governors Island
Governors Island is a island in Upper New York Bay, approximately one-half mile from the southern tip of Manhattan Island and separated from Brooklyn by Buttermilk Channel. It is legally part of the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
in New York City on April 12, 1912, and was buried in West Point Cemetery
West Point Cemetery
West Point Cemetery is a historic cemetery on the grounds of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. It overlooks the Hudson River, and served as a burial ground for American Revolutionary War soldiers and early West Point inhabitants long before 1817 when it was officially...
.