Ulysses Grant at the Library

During the final week of September, a play called Grant & Twain will be performed at PS21 in Chatham. On Thursday evening, August 23, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., the creator of that play, Elizabeth Diggs, will be sharing her vast knowledge of Ulysses Grant at the Hudson Area Library, in a lecture entitled "The Enigma of Ulysses Grant."

At the end of the Civil War, Grant was idolized by both North and South. He toured the world for more than two years and was received everywhere by enormous crowds.

Grant with Chinese Governor-General Li Hongzhang in 1879 | Photo: Liang Shitai

Diggs says of Grant's world tour: "He was welcomed by the common people as their hero and by queens and princes as a great man. Known as one of the greatest horsemen of the century as well as a brilliant military leader, he was expected to ride at the head of parades in full military regalia. But he refused. Instead, he explored the world's cities, often alone and on foot, among the common people--a true ambassador for democracy."

Diggs continues: "Grant rose to greatness as a military leader, as President, and as a writer. Yet, he was not ambitious. He hated war, he disliked politics, and he never intended to write his memoirs. When he was forced to pick up his pen due to financial necessity, his book was proclaimed as one of the greatest memoirs of all time."

The lecture, which takes place on Thursday, August 23, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., is free. The library is located at 51 North Fifth Street. More information is available at www.HudsonAreaLibrary.org.
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