„What General Lee's feelings were I do not know. As he was a man of much
dignity, with an impassable face, it was impossible to say whether he felt
inwardly glad that the end had finally come, or felt sad over the result, and was
too manly to show it. Whatever his feelings, they were entirely concealed from
my observation; but my own feelings, which had been quite jubilant on the
receipt of his letter, were sad and depressed. I felt like anything rather than
rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had
suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst
for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse. I
do not question, however, the sincerity of the great mass of those who were
opposed to us.”1
Down-hearted, but joyous about victory, maybe even more about a cruel
civilwar finally finding its end and respect for his enemy, even if he condemns
the cause they fought for, are just a few characteristics already beeing revealed
to us. The Man writing this, is Ulysses Hiram Grant, one, if not the most
famous general of the northern troops throughout the american civil war. The
circumstances surrounding these few sentences written above, describe a
moment of major importance for the war, because they represent the downfall,
the final collapsing of the confederate resistance and the defeat of another great
legend of war,”General E. Lee”, at Appomattox in April 9, 1865.
Grant obviously is on the peak of success, beeing a national hero, a highly
decorated general and only 4 years after the war, candidating and winning the
presidential elections. But considering how his career started it was hard to
foresee such a splendid development. A resigned Military Officer, incapable as
an entrepreneur, and with a tendency of excessive enjoyment of alcoholics,
turned into a War-Hero within 4 Years.
Born to Jesse Root and Hannah Simpson Grant in Point Pleasant, Clermont
County, Ohio, on April 27, 1822, he moved along with his family to
Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio in 1823. He attended the Maysville
Seminary in Maysville, Kentucky From 1836-1837 and the Presbyterian
Academy in Ripley Ohio From 1838-1839. [...]
1 Grant, Ulysses S.: Ulysses Grant Memoirs, Chapter 67.
Table of Contents
A. Introduction
B. Main Part
I. Grants Battles During the Civil War
Introduction
1. The War In The West, April 1861 – March 1864
2. The Virginia Campaigns, April 1864 – April 1865
II. Who was Grant – a Portrait
1. During military tasks
2. Personality and Character
C. Conclusion
Aim and Themes
This paper examines Ulysses S. Grant’s Civil War campaigns and seeks to portray his personality through accounts of his military conduct, his own recollections and the opinions of people who knew or opposed him. Its guiding question is how Grant’s battlefield career and personal characteristics can be understood together.
- Grant’s early life and military career
- The western campaigns from 1861 to 1864
- The Virginia campaigns from 1864 to 1865
- Grant’s approach to military command
- Competing portrayals of his personality and character
Excerpt from the Book
1. The War In The West, April 1861 – March 1864
In September 1861, Grant commanded a poorly trained and poorly armed unit of aproximately 15.000 men. In full Knowledge of the enemy facing the same problems concerning a badly trained and equipped army he engaged in his first civil war battle at Belmont, across the river from Columbus. The Federals routed the Confederates out of their Belmont cantonment and destroyed the rebel supplies and equipment they found because they did not have the means to carry them off. Due to outbreaks of uncontrollable joy among the federal troops, and due to them beeing imperfectly disciplined and organized, counterattacked by the Confederates, the Union forces had to withdraw, reembarked, and returned to Cairo.
While George H. Thomas had already broken the eastern frontlines of the Confederates army commanded by Albert S. Johnston, Grant played an active role in the battles for Fort Henry and Fort Donelson.
While Fort Henry was quite easily forced to surrender, suffering only of few casualties, by Flag-Officer Andrew H. Foote’s gunboats and Grants ground forces, Fort Denilson should become the first major challenge and test for Grants military skills. Following the same strategy as on Fort Henry, Foote attacked with his gunboats, but suffered numerous hits, forcing him to retreat his ships. Beeing wounded during this fight, Foote asked Grant on his flagship for consultations. During Grants absence the Confederates attacked parts of his groundforces without achieving anything successful. Upon this, Grant reacted immediately and counterattacked the Confederates with all he had, the badly damaged gunboats included. Exploiting the factor of the demoralized Confederate troops - "Some of our men are pretty badly demoralized, but the enemy must be more so, for he has attempted to force his way out, but has fallen back”- he achieved an incredible victory with an estimated numbre of 12.000 Confederate soldiers surrendering. The terms of surrender brought him the name “Unconditional Surrender Grant”, because as General Buckner asked for these terms, Grant replied “No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted”.
Chapter Summaries
A. Introduction: The introduction sketches Grant’s early life and military career before setting out the paper’s focus on his Civil War battles and personality.
B. Main Part: The main part follows Grant’s western and Virginia campaigns, then examines his style of command and competing representations of his character.
C. Conclusion: The conclusion reflects on the difficulties of reconciling the different facets of Grant’s life and considers how historical circumstances shape his reputation.
Keywords
Ulysses S. Grant, American Civil War, Union Army, military leadership, western campaigns, Virginia campaigns, Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, Overland Campaign, Petersburg, military strategy, personality, historical reputation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this paper about?
It examines Ulysses S. Grant’s Civil War military career and presents a portrait of his personality and character.
What are its central themes?
Its central themes include Grant’s campaigns in the West and Virginia, his approach to command, and differing accounts of his personal qualities.
What is the paper’s primary aim?
The paper aims to follow Grant through his Civil War battles while also exploring his personality through his recollections and other people’s opinions.
What research method does the paper use?
The paper uses a historical narrative and discussion of published biographies, Grant’s memoirs and collected papers. It does not identify a formal research method.
What does the main part cover?
It traces Grant’s campaigns in the West and Virginia before discussing his military leadership and personality.
Which keywords characterize the paper?
Key terms include Ulysses S. Grant, the American Civil War, Union Army, military leadership, western campaigns and Virginia campaigns.
Which western campaigns are discussed?
The paper discusses Belmont, Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, the Mississippi campaign and Chattanooga.
How does the paper approach Grant’s personality?
It considers contrasting portrayals of Grant alongside discussion of his relationships, conduct and drinking.
- Quote paper
- Nils Urban (Author), 2003, Ulysses S. Grant, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/15832
