GRANT, ULYSSES SIMPSON
Ulysses Simpson Grant, originally known as Hiram Ulysses Grant, was a U.S. general, the
commander of the Union army during the last part of the Civil War, and the president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. During his presidency Grant’s reputation was tarnished by political corruption and scandal in his adminis-
tration. Though he was never personally
involved with any scandal, his failure to choose
trustworthy advisers hurt his presidency.
Grant was born April 27, 1822, in Point
Pleasant, Ohio. Raised in nearby Georgetown, he
was educated at local and boarding schools. In
1839 he accepted an appointment to the Army’s
military academy at West Point, though he did
not intend to become a soldier. The appointment
allowed him to obtain the education he could
not afford otherwise. He graduated in 1843 and
began his military career with a tour of duty dur-
ing the Mexican War of 1846–48, in which he
distinguished himself in battle. After the war he
was assigned to Fort Humboldt, California. Dur-
ing his time in California, Grant became lonely,
and it has been alleged he had a drinking prob-
lem. He resigned his commission in 1854 and
made several unsuccessful attempts at alternative
careers, including farming and real estate. In
1860 he moved to Galena, Illinois, where he
worked in his father’s leather goods store.
With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861,
Grant returned to the military as a colonel in the
Illinois Volunteers. He soon was promoted to
brigadier general. Grant’s first major victory
came in February 1862, when his troops cap-
tured Forts Henry and Donelson, Tennessee,
forcing General Simon B. Buckner, of the Con-
federacy, to accept unconditional surrender. As a
