Grant's parents named him Hiram but called him by his middle name, Ulysses,
or "Lyss" for short. When he entered West Point in 1839, his name was mistakenly changed to U. Simpson. He then became known
as U. S. Grant, rather than H. U. Grant, which stood for the initials for his given name, Hiram Ulysses.
By the age of nine, young Ulysses was outstanding at breaking horses
and teaching them to pace that area, so farmers hired the young Ulysses to train their horses. Grant's love of horses was
an integral part of his life. Horses later played an important role during his military career.
Grant had no intention of continuing with a military career when he
graduated from West Point. Actually, he wanted to continue his studies and become a mathematics professor.
Source: National Park Service
