Ulysses S Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Many historians believe Ulysses S. Grant was one of the great generals of the Civil War. He changed the course of the country’s history by leading the Union to a clear victory over the Confederacy during the Civil War. General Grant is proof that strength of character and belief in duty coupled with a determined military strategy led to Union victory. T. Harry Williams, a military historian, said about Grant, “No general could do what he did because of accident or luck or preponderance of numbers and weapons. He was a success because he was a complete general and a complete character” (Ulysses S. Grant Homepage). Ulysses S. Grant’s success as a soldier and general was a product of his strong and unwavering character paired with his genius as a military strategist.

Ulysses S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1882, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. The eldest in his family, he had an ordinary childhood showing no particular talent or promise. He was an average student whose greatest skill was riding and managing horses. This skill ultimately served him well when he joined the army. Upon graduating from West Point in the middle of his class (Wilson 975), he joined the Fourth United States Infantry as a brevet second lieutenant, and served with distinction in the Mexican War from 1846 to 1848 (Wilson 975). Grant participated in all major battles which lead to the capture of Mexico City, earning a promotion to first lieutenant for his bravery. Geoffrey Perret, author of Ulysses S. Grant: Soldier & President, spoke about Grant’s first experience as a soldier in an interview with Brian Lamb:

…although he deplored the human cost of war, he was susceptible to the drama. And once he found a way to participate in a battle, feeling that he was doing his duty, that this death and destruction could be justified on moral grounds, I think he really discovered that he had a soldier’s vocation (Perret, par. 11).

After the Mexican War, Grant married Julia Dent, the daughter of a slaveholding family, in 1848 (Wilson 975). He had four children, and was a devoted parent and husband. The center of Grant’s life was his family, and he was considered a hero in the eyes of his wife and children. Jesse Root Grant, his youngest son, said of his father, “In my memory of him, and his record, father's uncompromising patriotism, his absolute, self-sacrificing loyalty, stand out as his dominant characteristics; right or wrong, his country came first and he supported it with all that he had” (Ulysses S. Grant Homepage). His children described Grant as an undemonstrative man, yet showing the greatest affection and gentleness with his family (Ulysses S. Grant Homepage).

In 1852, Grant was ordered to the Pacific Coast with his regiment. He and Julia had one child, and she was pregnant with the second. It was a long trip, and Grant could not afford to take his family with him, but he became very unhappy without them by his side. Many in the regiment died during the difficult voyage across the isthmus in Panama. The survivors remembered his calmness and cool demeanor in the face of adversity during this difficult trip. Grant spent two long years separated from his family, and took to drinking which eventually led to the army’s request for his resignation. By 1854, Grant had returned to civilian life and tried his hand at farming. Although happy to be with his family, Grant was financially unsuccessful and was