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That night, he told his good friend Brig.
#Ulysses s grant jr full
Grant’s force endured the full brunt of a ferocious enemy assault on the first day of the battle. Henry Halleck, Grant next led the Army of the Tennessee at the Battle of Shiloh on April 6 and 7, 1862. The stunning victories also drew the attention of President Abraham Lincoln, who promoted Grant to major general of volunteers. The battles earned him the nickname “Unconditional Surrender Grant” for his uncompromising surrender terms. Working closely with the Navy, he captured the strategically important Confederate forts Henry and Donelson in February 1862. He proved to be a brilliant strategist, winning his first major victories later that year. Shortly after, he was promoted to brigadier general on August 5. On June 14, 1861, he was appointed as a colonel and was given command of the 21st Illinois Volunteer Infantry. While the future president struggled in civilian life, the Civil War allowed him to thrive and put his talents to good use. Motivated by love for his country, Grant decided to help the Union cause by serving again in the Army. And I want hereafter to be ranked with the latter.” When the newly formed Confederacy opened fire on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, Grant wrote that, “There are but two parties now: traitors and patriots. Though Grant had supported Democrats, he despised slavery, partly due to his upbringing in an abolitionist household, and had even freed an enslaved person he briefly owned in 1859. By then, the storm clouds of secession and possible war loomed on the horizon. After failing as a farmer and a businessman in Missouri, Grant and his family moved to Galena, Illinois, in April 1860 so he could clerk in his father’s store. Grant struggled to support himself and his family as a civilian. While guilty of the offense, Grant battled his addiction to alcohol throughout the rest of his life. While there, allegations of excessive drinking caused Grant to resign from the Army on July 31, 1854. After the Mexican War ended in an American victory, Grant was sent to several other duty stations, including Fort Humboldt in California. He earned a brevet (temporary) promotion to captain and learned valuable skills that later served him well in the Civil War. Serving as the regiment’s quartermaster, he fought in several battles, including Resaca de la Palma and Chapultepec. Grant deployed with the 4th Infantry Regiment to fight in the Mexican War in 1846.
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The two married four years later in 1848 and eventually welcomed four children into their family. In 1844, he became engaged to Julia Dent, the daughter of a Missouri plantation owner.
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Though talented in mathematics and an accomplished horseman, Grant graduated 21st out of his class of 39 cadets. Grant,” a name that he adopted for the rest of his life. A clerical error altered Grant’s name to “Ulysses S. He disliked working in the family’s tannery so his father worked to get him appointed as a cadet at the U.S. Overblown allegations of drunkenness and corruption hurt his reputation, yet the soft-spoken Grant stands as an excellent commander who dedicated his life to serving the United States.īorn on Apto Jesse and Hannah Grant, the future president grew up in Point Pleasant, Ohio. As president, he guided the nation through Reconstruction, helping to bind the wounds between North and South while empowering newly freed African Americans. As general of the Army, he commanded hundreds of thousands of Soldiers during the Civil War, leading the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy. The historical record reveals the story of a remarkable man who, through his intelligence, determination, iron will, and patriotism, helped lead the United States through one of the greatest times of crisis and chaos in the nation’s history. Thanks to the efforts of recent historians, Grant is much better understood today than when he was alive. Among them are hero, butcher, savior, and drunkard but perhaps the most accurate of all was the “American Sphinx.” Even for the people of Grant’s time, he was somewhat of a mystery. Grant by many names, some fair and others not. People, both past and present, have called General of the Army Ulysses S.
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Brady-Handy photograph collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
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