Overlooked in this thread is the issuance of General Order No. 11 by Grant. He was so angered and upset by the cotton trade between the North and South in his area, he made the mistake of characterising them all as Jews. The gist of his order was to ban Jews from his area. Coincidentaly, the order was dated december 17, 1862. See the links below, noting the perspectives from both sides, and the involvement of Grant's father. Stan

http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/45459.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Order_No._11_(1862)

http://www.ajhs.org/publications/chapters/chapter.cfm?documentID=215

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Modern/ModernIntergroup/ModernAntisemitism/Grant.htm