ck his farm, supply tools, seed, and horses. (Chernow) The summer of 1857 was a particularly difficult one for Grant. His wheat crop did not produce nearly the four or five hundred bushels he predicted, although he held out for other crops to make up the deficit. 1857 also saw an economic depression which included bank failures, lots of unemployment, and negative commodity prices, crushing any hope of rebound for Grant and his immediate family. (Chernow)
By April 1860, Grant was working in his Father’s leather goods store as a clerk; a job he was not proud to have. Living in Galena, Illinois, he, Julia, and their four children lived in a modest house overlooking the business district and the Galena River. (Chernow) Of the 11 months Grant spent in Galena, he had made few friends, and was attentive to his business. When shots were fired on Fort Sumter in 1861, Grant’s life would radically change. On May 24, 1861 Grant made a plea to the Adjutant-General of the Army, offering “very respectfully, to tender my services, until the close of the ...