Indeed, from the time he began his residence in Galena he already
had the battle well in hand and he fought it out with such grim
resolution that before a year had passed his victory was complete.
Scarcely anyone in the little town knew of this silent struggle for
self-mastery. Indeed, very few people knew anything at all about
the newcomer, save that he was a quiet, hard-working man who
occasionally appeared on the streets wearing a blue army overcoat
which had seen rough service. This weather-stained garment,
however, forced Grant to break his habitual silence, for he fully
shared General Taylor's prejudice against a uniform and felt
obliged to apologize for wearing even part of one. So one day he
explained to a neighbor that he wore the coat because it was made
of good material and he thought he ought to use it as long as
it lasted. That was all the citizens of Galena then learned of
the record of the man who had served with high honor in well-nigh
every battle of the Mexican War. Had it depended upon him, their
information would probably have begun and ended there.

During all this time the feeling between the North and the South
was growing more and more bitter, but Galena was a town divided
against itself on the slavery question. Grant himself was a Democrat.
If he was not in favor of slavery, he certainly was not opposed to
it, for he favored Douglas and not Lincoln in the contest for the
Presidency, and Douglas was strongly against any interference with
slavery. Indeed, it is a curious coincidence that at or about the
time when Lee's family was ceasing to own slaves, Grant's family
acquired some. Such, however, is the fact, for on the death of
her father, Mrs. Grant inherited several Negroes and there is some
evidence that Grant himself sold or attempted to sell them.