The ceremonies concluded with a musket salute and three rousing huzzahs from the troops. Union leaders then posed, whether by design or accident, by height for pictures in front of the statue.

I knew very little about Thomas Hamer, the man responsible for Grant's West Point appointment, and Lynn Gardner's presentation was truly educational. Because of deeply held political differences, Hamer and Jesse Grant, Ulysses' father, were not even speaking to each other at the time of the appointment. With a certain amount of reluctance, Jesse Grant sent a request to Hamer that arrived just a day before he left office. What if it had arrived a day later? What if Hamer had let his disagreement with the elder Grant keep him from assisting the younger? Hamer's 1846 death from dysentery while serving in the Mexican War is fuel for more conjecture. Many experts believe that, had he lived, Hamer would have been elected president in 1852 rather than Franklin Pierce. What if?

The last picture is of a pre-war north vs. south debate with Ernie Parnell representing the south, Stan Purdy representing the north, and Pat Hornschemeier moderating. While the arguments did not change my mind in any significant way, events like this are important reminders that I cannot be 100% certain that my 2013 opinions exactly match those I would have had in 1863 had I been around.