Unconditional Surrender Grant - also known as Ulysses S. Grant - was perhaps the most influential general fighting for the Union.
Background
Grant was an Ohioan that was happiest at home. Whenever he was away, he became a hard drinker since he would get so homesick. He loved his wife, but wasn't a fan of his father's. He was also a cigar smoker, and worked very well with horses. Grant was a shy individual that was less than stellar. He graduated from West Point Military Academy as twenty-first in his class (out of thirty-nine). While he was at school, he lost his first name, Hiram, through some confusion on his actual name when he enrolled. From then on, he took up the name Ulysses S. Grant. He was a veteran of the Mexican - American War in the 1840s. Afterwords however, Grant left the army since he was feeling homesick again. He knew he would get kicked out for drinking anyways, so he returned to Ohio to farm. But after years of failure, he quit farming. Legacy As a general, Grant was a fighter. He never backed down and always fought to the very end. In surrender, he was a gentleman and let his prisoners keep their dignity. However, he almost lost his position as general on numerous occasions. "I have never advocated war except as means of peace." "Although a soldier by profession, I have never felt any sort of fondness for war." |
When the North and South Split
In 1861, Grant volunteered for the Union. Once again in the army, he was promoted quickly. He became a brigade general almost immediately. He mostly fought battles out west near the Mississippi River. When he fought however, he fought ruthlessly. Hence where he got his nickname from. His way of thinking was that you can either surrender as prisoners or die, no conditions. One of his more famous battles took place in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1864. Grant wanted to break 30,000 southern troops residing in Mississippi. But it was clear that the fort's defenses were impenetrable and couldn't be broken. Grant and his forces, still determined, siege the fort by blocking the Mississippi River and firing on the fort. Since the southern troops had no way of escape (river blocked), all 30,000 of them surrendered. This was a HUGE turning point in the war! Grant was named General-in-Chief of the Union. With this new victory, his new goal became to crush Robert E. Lee's army in the north. Grant chased them around the south from 1864 to 1865. Finally, in April of 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. "The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on." "In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins." |