Preface

HISTORIAN KENNETH P. Williams called Ulysses S. Grant the “most profitable and most inspiring of all generals to study. He was a soldier’s soldier, a general’s general. . . . He was the embodiment of the offensive spirit that leaves the enemy no rest.”¹ Grant did not, however, cut an impressive figure when he arrived in Washington on March 8, 1864, to meet President Lincoln for the first time. At forty-two, he was about to be appointed Lieutenant General Grant and commander in chief of the army. Another historian, T. Harry Williams, painted a vivid description of what Grant looked like that day. He stood five feet eight and weighed roughly one hundred and thirty-five pounds. “His eyes were dark gray, his hair and short full beard were chestnut brown,” Williams wrote in his classic Lincoln and His Generals. One could not help noticing that Grant’s “left eye was a little lower than the other, and he had a wart on his right cheek. His frame was slightly stooped. There was little magnetism in his appearance and personality.”² Grant’s stature seems slight when compared to the height and weight of men today, but it was average for his day. Regardless of his physical appearance, Grant towered over other army officers when it came to discipline, perseverance, and the ability to win battles.

When he accepted the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, it was a momentous occasion. After four horrific years the war was effectively over, and Grant was largely responsible for the defeat of the Confederacy. On that day he was officially anointed Savior of the Union. Now, more than 150 years since the Civil War began, Ulysses S. Grant is still considered one of the greatest officers to wear the uniform of the United States Army. His rise to prominence is a story of inspiration and determination.

As a young man, Grant had no ambition to serve his country. In fact he had little interest in anything other than horses. It was Grant’s father who goaded his son in that direction by submitting on his behalf an application to the United States Military Academy. Grant reluctantly attended West Point, and even though he never felt entirely comfortable there, a newfound confidence came forth which saw him through that awkward time. Such confidence catapulted him to the top of the U.S. Army during the Civil War and later got him elected as a two-term president.

Countless biographies, histories, articles, and documentaries attempt to explain the rise of Grant from his humble beginnings to the general who brought the country back together in 1865. To understand Grant’s success on the battlefield is necessary to comprehend the man: his upbringing, his beliefs, and his drive to push on after numerous setbacks in the army and in civilian life. His personal life was far from perfect, but he never gave up, striving for perfection while displaying compassion for others. Grant: Savior of the Union focuses on his military career and why he remains revered today as a commanding general.

Grant enjoyed the excitement of war, but not necessarily serving in the army. His main passion was his wife, the former Julia Dent, and their four children. Like any soldier, he found that army life and family did not mix. After he finished serving in the Mexican War, his next assigned posts kept him far away from his loved ones. He became despondent and turned to drinking as a means of coping with the loneliness. This was all too much for Grant, and he resigned from the service.

As a civilian, Grant tried his hand at farming and business, but he had no aptitude for either. When America split apart in 1861 and war between the Northern and Southern states erupted, Grant wanted to serve his country once again as an officer. Failing to gain a commission back in the regular army, he instead accepted command of an Illinois volunteer unit. But rejoining the army meant more to Grant than becoming a soldier again. He firmly believed that the war was fought over the issue of slavery and that it had to be dealt with, even if it meant much bloodshed. A great admirer, Frederick Douglass, credited him as one of the main reasons this institution was abolished: “May we not justly say, will it not be the unquestioned sentiment of history that the liberty Mr. Lincoln declared with his pen General Grant made effectual with his sword—by his skill in leading the Union armies to final victory.”³

Grant found that he was a natural commander and within a month was promoted from colonel to brigadier general of volunteers in the Western Theater. His first action in July 1861 was a minor engagement that caused him significant worry. He had not yet found his confidence, but that developed quickly. A year later he led successful assaults against Confederate fortifications in Tennessee that left the state’s two most important cities, Memphis and Nashville, indefensible. It was also during this campaign that Grant earned one of his many nicknames: “Unconditional Surrender.”

Despite his ability to lead troops and his success on the battlefield, Grant was not immune to controversy. Questions about whether he was still drinking came forth, and in 1862 Grant issued a controversial order banning Jewish peddlers in Mississippi, causing alarm in the White House. During the first three years of the war Grant was often at odds with his superior, Major General Henry W. Halleck. But circumstances changed and it was Grant who outranked Halleck the final two years of the conflict. As the war progressed and Grant won more battles, especially as commander of all Union armies, he came under the scrutiny of newspaper correspondents. They called him a butcher because of the high number of battlefield casualties. It was suggested that he sent men into combat with no concern about their welfare, only to win battles by attrition. Even many of the seventy movies and television series that include an actor portraying Grant depict him as a drunkard with no talent for commanding troops. This is simply not correct. Casualties under his command were roughly the same as the numbers attributed to other generals. Grant did not throw large bodies of men toward the enemy, but the fact that he kept fighting when other commanders would have left the field resulted in more men killed or wounded. Grant’s tenacity to succeed implied that he was ruthless, but in reality he was a very down-to-earth commander. The men who served under Grant’s leadership adored him and respected his abilities to lead them in battle. Grant was able to dodge all of these and other controversies for the obvious reason that he won more battles than any other Union general.

During the war, Grant made sure that his wife, Julia, was never far away. He often sent for her and the children to stay with him on campaign. According to one of Grant’s aides, after each campaign she visited her husband and “was welcomed by everyone in his command. She had a kindly, gracious way that captured us. The officers who had annoyances and grievances they could not take to the General and his staff appealed to Mrs. Grant. She was very diplomatic and knew what to consider, and what she could not take up with the general. Besides his love for Julia, Grant often said, ‘my weaknesses are my children and my horses.’ ”⁴

Grant’s appeal during his own time and even now is that he was modest and unassuming. He carried himself as though he hadn’t a care in the world, and this is a testament to an inner strength that helped him persevere during rough periods throughout his life. Grant spoke quietly and preferred not wearing a fancy uniform like one of his mentors, General Winfield Scott, who was known as Old Fuss and Feathers. Rather, he emulated another hero, General Zachary Taylor, who had less regard for his appearance and earned the nickname Old Rough and Ready. After his promotion to lieutenant general, Grant wore a private’s coat with stars sewn on the shoulder straps.

By the end of the Civil War, Grant’s popularity had soared, and Northerners admired him as much as Abraham Lincoln. When we read the many letters, orders, and reports he wrote between 1861 and 1865, we can understand why. His writing clearly and concisely demonstrates his love for the nation and, during this difficult period, how important it was to him to bring the Union back together again through aggressiveness and the ability to adjust to conditions on the battlefield. His compassion for others comes forth in his correspondence, as well as the way in which he conducted himself in the presence of others. People were drawn to Grant, and even though they might not have completely understood him, his greatness was apparent. His friend Major General William Tecumseh Sherman once said of Grant: “To me he is a mystery, and I believe he is a mystery to himself.”⁵ My hope is that General Ulysses S. Grant: Savior of the Union will prove Sherman wrong and provide a sense of Grant’s importance when he served his country and how his leadership and contribution to history will remain relevant for eternity.