Report on Ulysses Simpson Grant

Report on Ulysses Simpson Grant

Ulysses S. grant was born on April 27, 1822.   He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant but had later changed it to Ulysses Simpson Grant, Simpson had come from his mothers maiden name. His father never had much money, but somehow got an appointment for his son to attend the Military Academy at West Point, New York.  

During the Mexican War he had served in Zachary Thomas? and then later Winfeild Scott?s armies.   After the war he was transferred to garrison duty in the Great lakes area with his new wife Julia Dent Grant.   They were happy, and started their family. Later though, he was transferred to the Pacific Northwest.   He wasn?t allowed to have family there so he started to drink.   That subsequently led to him resigning from the army.   For six years he tried his luck as a farmer, real estate salesman, county engineer, agent in a custom house, and finally settled as a clerk in his brothers? leather-goods store.

When the Civil War broke out, he reapplied to the army, and initially was appointed a colonel of an Illinois regiment.   His great leadership was noticed and he was promoted to brigadier general.   When the Confederates moved to take Kentucky in 1861, Grant was ordered to capture Paducah and Smithland which were strategic sites along Tennessee rivers.   He did so, however, two months later his troops were attacked while looting instead of preparing for a Confederate counterattack.   Because of this, he was taken away from the action and sent a desk job, a lesson he never forgot.   It took about a year for him to be given the trust of another command.

His biggest victory, and most important one, was the Siege of Vicksburg.   After a difficult 47 day siege, in which no supplies were allowed to enter the city, Vicksburg surrendered to Grant on July 4, 1863.   Food was so scarce at that point that the citizens had been eating rats, kittens, and mule meat. Newspapers were being printed on the back of wallpaper.

There were other battles that showed his...