Over the Christmas holiday I had the opportunity to visit New York City and tour some of its historic sites. One rises along the Hudson River, a Grecian-style temple, for which over 90,000 people contributed more than $600,000. Opened with over one million people in attendance, including diplomats from 26 countries, this site honors one of America’s great heroes.
Upon approaching the site you might be struck by its impressive size but also by the simple, yet powerful, quotation boldly carved over the entry: “Let Us Have Peace”.
The National Park Service video concerning the site reminds us that between 500,000 and 600,000 people visited the site annually after it opened in 1897. That exceeds the number who had visited the Statute of Liberty at the time. On its steps had been stationed uniformed guards whose duty included assisting disabled Civil War veterans up the steps.
The General Grant National Memorial is the largest mausoleum in North America and its crypt holds the mortal remains of General and President Grant and his wife, Julia. This memorial testifies to the gratitude of the nation for the man credited along with Abraham Lincoln for preserving the union.
