Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era

by James M. McPherson

Several highly visible traders who defied Grant’s orders were Jews. Grant and other Union generals had frequently complained about Jewish “speculators whose love of gain is greater than their love of country.”61 When Grant’s own father brought three Jewish merchants to Memphis seeking special permits, his son the general lost his temper and on December 17, 1862, issued this order: “The Jews, as a class, violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department, and also Department orders, are hereby expelled from the Department.” Jewish spokesmen denounced this “enormous outrage” that punished a whole group for the alleged sins of a few. Sensing an issue, House Democrats introduced a resolution, but Republicans tabled it. Lincoln rescinded Grant’s order, explaining through Halleck that while [Page 623] he had no objection to expelling dishonest traders, the order “proscribed a whole class, some of whom are fighting in our ranks.”62 Grant said no more about Jews, but six months later he summed up the frustrations of his efforts to regulate a trade that “is weakening us of at least 33 percent of our force. … I will venture that no honest man has made money in West Tennessee in the last year, whilst many fortunes have been made there during that time.”63