Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses Simpson Grant was born on April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio after one year his family moved to Georgetown. There he attended school until he was fourteen. After that he attended a military academy at Ripley, Ohio. Though he took up the career of a soldier he, in his youth, had wanted to teach mathematics in a collage.

In 1839 his father put him in West Point and in 1843 he graduated. He was then appointed to second lieutenant of the Fourth Infantry Regiment stationed in St. Louis, were he met Julia Dent. They fell in love and soon were engaged. But the threat of war with Mexico delayed their wedding. His regiment was detached to Texas and there he fought in many battles. He left the war as soon as he could to return to St. Louis. On August 22, 1848 he was married. Julia was a great wife that gave a lot of encouragement. They had four children, Frederick, Ulysses, Ellen, and Jesse.

In 1851 he was sent to Fort Vancouver in Oregon. He couldn't take his family along because his salary was not enough to support them. he became desperate and began to drink heavily. In 1853 he was promoted to captain, he was then stationed in Fort Humboldt in California. Still the captain salary was not enough to support his family, so he left the Army.

But in 1861 when the Civil War started, Abraham Lincoln asked the public to join the army, Grant decided to enlist. He wrote the federal government and asked a commission as colonel, even though as a child he hated blood so much that he had to have his meat very, very, well done. They ignored him untill after many months Governor Richard Yates appointed him colonel of the 21^st Illinois Volunteers. He then led them in a campiagn against Confederate guerrillas. In the August of 1861 Lincoln made him a brigadier general. Grant was a great general and soon was well known. In 1862 he received heavy criticism but Lincoln defended him saying,"I can't spare this man-he fights!" Grant had so much success that in early 1863 Lincoln promoted him to lieutenant general of all Northern armies. After the Battle of Spotsylvania Grant said, "I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer." And that is what he did, but it actually took him all summer, fall, and winter. Grant fought hard at Richmond and forced Lee to abandon the city. Grant quickly pursued him and Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865 in Appomattox Court House, VA. Unfortunately, Grant died at Mount McGregor on July 23, 1885.