Submitted by US Grant Homestead Association.
By Amber Becraft-Johnan
When I sat down at a table in The Bailey House Bed & Breakfast to interview E.C. Fields Jr., Ph.D., whom is lovingly known as Curt, I couldn’t deny his powerful presence. It felt as if President U.S. Grant was entertaining a personal visit with me. Dr. Fields is a living historian. He dresses and educates as different stages of Grant’s life, but that night, he was formally dressed as “Mr. President”. What an honor it was to talk to Curt, who is a wealth of knowledge. His role as Grant is filled with historical embodiment. Curt, whom is exactly a living replica for U.S. Grant at 5’8 and 150 lbs., told me he got started as U.S. Grant 12 years ago after an “epiphany”. While standing next to another living historian dressed as President Lincoln, he was enlightened by the fact that Grant and Lincoln had never been photographed together. He then felt led to provide people with an opportunity to do just that—to be photographed and talk with someone no longer with us. The personal advantage that led him there was mostly because of his physical size—but he also grew up devouring anything Civil War related to read, so that helped. An avid reader his entire life, he was able to share many history lessons with people and he has felt honored to “Lift up Ulysses S. Grant to as many people as possible.” He didn’t have a serious interest in Grant prior to becoming a living historian, but he has become like many of us, and fallen captive to the humble and honorable General, President, and person, U.S. Grant was. He rarely breaks character when in uniform. He has done extensive research on Grant, but is honest when he doesn’t know something—and will tell his listeners that he doesn’t know.
Curt has been stepping up to help the U.S. Grant Homestead Association in Georgetown, Ohio for a few years now, during the Annual U.S. Grant Days in April. He has been a part of many history talks at commemorative battles, museums, celebrations, and events— all over the United States. He is adamant at reminding people he is not a “re-enactor”. He told me that they work very hard at what they do, getting things exactly right, as they should—and that he didn’t deserve the credit of being called a re-enactor. They have their place and he has his, which is to provide a place of informing, educating, and sharing the life of U.S. Grant.
As we know to be the case for so many people, his ability to make a physical presence has been non-existent because of Covid-19 over the last year, and many of his efforts have been done through Zoom calls, website publications, YouTube Videos, and similar contacts.
He was recently in Georgetown at the end of March to film some videos for his YouTube Channel, which was also a partnership with the Rutherford B. Hayes Home of Fremont, Ohio. The RBH Home is using this video to educate local 8th graders. More information about the Rutherford B. Hayes Home can be found at: https://www.rbhayes.org.
Fields has loved taking the dive into the digital world where his content can reach many people. I scrolled through his YouTube page and was amazed at the great content he has been creating.
He can even be found on a special program provided by the Civil War Round Table of Congress (http://www.cwrtcongress.org/) called “Fridays With Grant”. There he talks about specific topics on Grant, and you can even register for a virtual seat to participate in this program. Information about all that Curt is doing as U.S. Grant can also be found on his website www.generalgrantbyhimself.com and his YouTube Channels: “Dr. E.C. Fields” and “General Grant by Himself by Dr. E.C. Fields”.
Curt ended our evening with a U.S. Grant quote: “I am in to do all that I can.” He said that he feels the very same as Grant, in those sentiments, in regards to sharing knowledge about U.S. Grant with people. I want to thank Dr. Fields for sharing his time with us that night.
The U.S. Grant Homestead Association would like to inform the public that they have cancelled the annual U.S. Grant Days in Georgetown, Ohio this year due to continuing Covid-19 concerns, but are very excited to announce plans for Grant’s Bicentennial Birthday next year in 2022. While Grant’s actual birthday is on April 27, they have plans to have many events all year long. A local committee has started to plan the events surrounding Grant’s 200th Birthday. If you or someone you know would be a good fit for that committee please contact Stan Purdy, Chair, (877) 372-8177. You may also visit www.usgrantboyhoodhome.org for future event info.