and as he had no special fondness for the name Hiram, which was
bestowed to gratify an aged relative, he thought it not worth while to
go through a long red-tape process to correct the error. There was
another Cadet Grant, and their comrades distinguished this one by sundry
nicknames, of which "Uncle Sam" was one and "Useless" another.

When he arrived at West Point, in July, 1839, he was not a prepossessing
figure of a young gentleman. The rusticity of his previous occupation
and breeding was upon him. Seventeen years old, hardly more than five
feet tall, but solid and muscular, with no particular charm of face or
manner, no special dignity of carriage, he was only a common sort of
pleb, modest, good-natured, respectful, companionable but sober-minded,
observant but undemonstrative, willing but not ardent, trusty but
without high ambitions,--the kind of boy who might achieve commendable
success in the academy, or might prove unequal to its requirements,
without giving cause of surprise to his associates.

He had no difficulty in passing the examination at the end of his six
months' probationary period, which enabled him to be enrolled in the
army, and he was never really in danger of dismissal for deficient
scholarship. He seems to have made no effort for superior excellence in
scholarship, and in some studies his rank was low. Mathematics gave him
no trouble, and he says that he rarely read over any of his lessons more
than once, which is evidence that he had unusual power of concentrating
his attention, the secret of quick work in study. This power and a
faithful memory will enable any one to achieve high distinction if he is
willing to toil for it. Grant was not willing to toil for it. He gave
time to other things, not in the routine prescribed. He pursued a
generous course of reading in modern English fiction, including all the
works then published of Scott, Bulwer, Marryat, Lever, Cooper, and
Washington Irving, and much besides.

The thing for which he was especially distinguished was, as may be
surmised, horsemanship. He was esteemed one of the best horsemen of his
time at the academy. But this, too, was easy for him. He appears to have
been on good terms with his fellows and well liked, but he was not a
leader among them. He has said that while at home he did not like to
work. It must be judged that his mind was affected by a certain
indolence, that he was capable enough when he addressed himself to any
parti