Ulysses S. Grant, The General That Got it Done


General Ulysses S. Grant was two things, a war General and a President of the United States. He, like many, are well known by the people yet not truly known. This is a strange sentence but a valid one. Most figures remembered by history only have a small section of their life that is known. We know Grant as the great General of the Civil War, the man that finally defeated Robert E. Lee. Yet, that was a very small part of his life and career. There is so much more to the story…

Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822. At this point in time the last founding father to hold the office of the President of the United States, James Monroe, was still in office. Grant was born in Ohio to abolitionist parents. He was named Ulysses because it was the name his father pulled out of a hat. The future General's grandfather had suggested Hiram, thusly it was there but no one ever used that name.
At sixteen years old a young Grant was nominated for the United States Military Academy (USMA). When he was nominated the Representative to do so, Thomas L. Hamer, mistakenly wrote the name Ulysses S. Grant. This was the name that he would be accepted under and once a cadet is accepted his official name cannot be changed. Thusly, Ulysses S. Grant was born. Grant would initially be very indifferent to the idea of a military life but, less than a year later, he would change his mind and wrote that he did in fact enjoy military life.

In 1944, at the age of twenty-two, Grant met the love of his life. Her name was Julia Dent and she came from a slave owning family. They would be married four years later on August 22, 1848, neither of Grant's parents were in attendance. After their wedding Grant took a two-month leave and debated never returning to military life. He eventually came to the conclusion that the best way to support his wife would be through returning to his ranks. Thankfully this decision helped the United States gain one of the greatest Generals of all time.

Ulysses S. Grant took part in the Mexican American War. Yet, as most people know, it would be his involvement in the Civil War that history cares the most about. On March 8, 1864 Grant was formally commissioned the title of Lieutenant General. He now answered to one man and one man only, Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States of America. Lincoln and Grant developed a very strong relationship. Lincoln let Grant develop his own plan as long as there was only one goal in mind, defeating Robert E. Lee. There had been a few different generals of important during the Civil War, but only Grant had the ability to force Lee to surrender. 

Surrender Lee did. On April 2, 1865, Grant ordered a general assault on Lee's troops. At this point in time Lee's troops were sparse and fairly injured. The Confederacy did not have the same capacity that the Union did to supply troops, because of this General Lee was out of options. On April 9, Grant and Lee met at Appomattox Court House where Lee surrendered. The Civil War was over. 

Interestingly enough, Grant had the Confederates surrender their guns but sent them right on home. Also, when his own troops attempted to celebrate their victory Grant stopped them saying that the "war is over; the rebels are our countrymen again." In the end, Grant was the man to finish the Confederacy off. Well, he supposedly did... but that is a story for another day, as is talk of his presidency.



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