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Ulysses Simpson Grant

One of the greatest generals of all in the Civil War was born on April 27, 1822. That boy was Ulysses Simpson Grant. He was born in the Ohio village of Point Pleasant. Even though he was baptized (He was baptized Methodist) under the name Hiram Ulysses Grant, he went under the name Ulysses Simpson Grant when he went to West Point Military Academy, the Simpson part being his mother’s maiden name. Grant was very gifted as an equestrian, otherwise, he was not well–known in any thing else at the academy. You can sense that, since he graduated 21st in a class of 39 in 1843. In the Mexican war, Grant served well in Zachary Taylor’s army at Monterey, Mexico and just as well with Winfield Scott’s. After the Mexican War, Grant was set to garrison duty in the Great Lakes area, and he was happy with his settings there because he was able to stay with his wife there, Julia Dent Grant. The two were married in 1848 on August 22. Later on, he was moved to the Pacific Northwest . Unusually, it turned out that he overindulged himself with alcohol, and was eventually forced to resign from the army in 1852. For six years, he struggled in Missouri as a farmer, real estate agent, an unsuccessful candidate for county executive, and agent in a custom-house. When the Civil War started, He was desperate to get a place in the army. He finally got a place as a colonel, and was later promoted to general. He was famous for his tactical and strategic skills, organization, and administration. He was a very tactical person, and his “feeding a sight” move, in which he transferred his troops forward with uncanny speed, and the fact that he made his troops never take a backwards step showed that. He used the feeding a sight move when he crossed the Mississippi river just south of Vicksburg to place his troops between two armies, and won five victorious battles in that area. He led the battles of Shiloh, Vicksburg and many more battles for the Union. He won most of them. A few years after he retired he ran for president, and won in 1868. He was the 18th president. He died a few years later on July 23, 1885.