Clemens, U.S. Grant and Hannibal, Mo.

Samuel Clemens

Hannibal, Mo., will be forever linked to Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), known for his writing, rather than his participation in the Civil War. The City Council has agreed to make a $1,000 match toward the purchase of a $2,500 blue highway sign indicating that the community is one of a series U.S. Grant Trails in Missouri. While Clemens’ Civil War participation was reportedly limited to a two-week stint with a Confederate militia, he later wound up a close friend of Ulysses S. Grant. Grant’s autobiography, written as he was dying of cancer in 1885, was published as a two-volume set by Mark Twain. Grant’s memoirs made approximately $450,000 for his family, leaving it financially secure. • Article