brooks donahue simpson.s and american political and military history. especially the american civil war and reconstruction. the author of several books, he's best known for the book, triumph of adversity, 1822 to 1865 and the reconstruction president. let's bring forward mr. brooks simpson so that he can share with us the legacy of ulysses s grant. [applause] >> good morning. thank you. i'd like to thank the national park service, and the grant monument association, especially frank scaturro for offering me this opportunity this morning. as many of you know, without french tireless efforts to preserve this edifice, we might not be here today. i thank him for those efforts. [applause] >> most people know of ulysses s grant primarily as the general who led the army of the united states to victory in the american civil war. that should be achievement enough for anyone. but there is more to grant than that. on this day, we may also reflect on grants efforts to realize the fruits of that victory and to recall a m

brooks, donahue simpson. he is an american historian where he specializes in american political and military history, especially the american civil war and reconstruction. the author of several books is best known for the book releases grant? triumph over adversity 1822 to 1865 and the reconstruction president. let's bring forward mr. brooks simpson so he can share with us the legacy of ulysses s grant. good morning. thank you. i would like to thank the national park service and the grant monument association. especially frank's guitaro for offering me this opportunity this morning. as many of you know without frank's tireless efforts to preserve this edifice. we might not be here today. i thank him for those efforts. most people know if ulysses s grant primarily has the general who had the armies of the united states to victory in the american civil war. that should be achievement enough. for anyone yet there is more to grant than that. on this day we might also reflect on grant's efforts to realize the frui

and they were joined by brooke simpson, the keynote speaker at the ceremony, and a stellar biographer of grant who for more than 30 years as soft as rain and a new era of grant scholarship. we are honored to have professor samson with us tonight along with a strong contingent of cadets with west point. stand up folks. [applause] i wish also to acknowledge the many other active military trainees were with us here tonight. from these ranks come our future leaders. what did we do to commemorate an occasion like this, the bicentennial of a preeminent american figure, many of us would say that the preeminent soldier, america's contribution to the pantheon of the great captains of history. you ask are the most capable general was of those who have been tried by war, and i think the majority of the stories would answer, it was ulysses s. grant. in 1976, for the [applause] bicentennial of our nation, congress in a special gesture, it posthumously promoted the u. s. army's highest rank, the commander of the united states. i think it is only fitting that to commemorate the bicentennial of the u

signing, and special presentation by our keynote speaker, brooks d. simpson. i want to say thank you for everyone to join us today ceremony, and have a wonderful evening. historical park civil war simcoe museum continues now on the mark in history tv, civil war symposium. >> it is my distinct honor to introduce this mornings for speaker, [applause] and it's my distinct honor to introduce this morning's first speaker, dr. peter carmichael, former professor of history from the civil war institute at gettysburg college. he received his ph. d. from penn state university. studying under gary w. gallagher, and then we are all familiar, i'm sure. professor peter carmichael went on to teach at western carolina university. and the university of north carolina at greensboro, west virginia university. [laughs] his academic interests include 19th century american history, the civil war, reconstruction, southern history, and cultural history. he is author of several books. his most recent work, the war for the common, soldier, published in 2018 as part of the littlefield h