October 21, 2025

In November of 1861, Brigadier General U. S. Grant was ordered by Theater commander, John C. Fremont, to make a demonstration on the Mississippi river at Columbus, Kentucky and Belmont, Missouri, on the opposite side of the river. Instead, he chose to attack Belmont for several reasons, none of which he had orders to undertake.  Only by the hardest, he won that fight, although some say he lost…

In February of 1863, after three more months of training at Cairo, Illinois, he was, at last, given permission by then Theater commander, Henry W. Halleck to attack Forts Henry on the Tennessee river and Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River.  After Fort Henry fell easily to the navy under Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote, Grant moved on the twelve miles between the rivers to as easily take Fort Donelson.  It proved to be a substantially harder nut to crack than was Fort Henry.  General Grant will relate those efforts and the frustrations involved with both weather and insubordinate subordinates.

Dr. Fields has portrayed General and President Grant in 22 states as he travels the nation presenting his portrayal of General and President Ulysses S. Grant. He researches and reads extensively about the General and President in order to deliver an accurate persona of the General.

Presentations are in first person, quoting from General Grant’s Memoirs, articles, letters and statements the General wrote, interviews he gave and first-person accounts of people who knew the General or witnessed him during events. Being the same height and body style as General Grant, he puts before the audience a convincing, true-to-life image of the man as he really looked.

In the 21st century, Curt is a retired secondary school administrator and college instructor. He also has a background in law-enforcement, having served as Memphis, TN, police officer and hostage negotiator.