The Man Who Saved The Union

You might be wondering how a history book on a dead general from the Civil War might relate to Aging Intelligently.

It’s about his support system and a tribe. A loser and a loner until the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant found his true calling (strategic big picture thinking), and his tribe (his followers), in war. Possessing a photographic memory, he was cool under pressure and developed a following of subordinate generals who believed in and supported him in suppression of the Confederate state’s bid to secede. Together, they carried out the wishes of President Lincoln to save the Union, and end slavery. It was an ugly, messy business which was unpopular with some of the people in the North and all of the people in the South. Through it all, Grant persevered: through attacks upon his person and his tactics, his motives, his execution, and the cost in soldiers that he was willing to pay to preserve the nation. Grant was single-minded and obsessed with finishing a job once started.

This is where a community, a tribe if you will, counts. A tribe keeps you on track when it seems that all is lost. A tribe reminds you of the why of what you are attempting. It is support enough for you to not think that you are crazy. If one person believes an idea, he might be crazy. If 608 people believe it, there might be some merit to it. At least it is worth looking at the idea, maybe thinking about it in another light.

When the going gets onerous, it’s important to have support, to have people who believe in you, and will stand by you. It’s difficult to go it alone.

And, statistics show that people live longer who are involved in community. The loner doesn’t live as well or as long.

At Grant’s funeral, in 1885, his pall-bearers included Union generals William T Sherman, Phil Sheridan, and Admiral David Porter. But it also included two Confederate generals: Joseph Johnston and Simon Buckner. He managed to bring together in death those who had been at odds in life. He was, in fact, the man who saved the Union.