When Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated for his first presidential term in 1869, thousands of people showed up to celebrate. It was one of the grandest and swankiest parties held in generations, with pricey tickets and a level of pomp befitting the figurative coronation of the general who had preserved the Union. To no one's surprise, this included lots of music — bugle-blasting, drum-tapping, parade-marching tunes — that set the tone of the event.
Yet one person who did not enjoy the sound of the beat was the incoming president himself. There is a famous line attributed to the acclaimed Civil War general that helps explain why:
