General Ulysses S. Grant

Not long after fighting had begun in the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant went back into battle and enlisted in the army. Grant was a great military leader. He combined tactics that were taught to him at West Point with his own knowledge and with what he picked up on from the Mexican War, where he was under the command of Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott.

Grant proved his leadership and strategy when he captured Fort Donelson in Tennessee. This was the first major victory for the Union. This was where Grant said a famous line when the confederate general Simon B. Buckner requested an armistice. General Grant's answer to this was "Yours of this date proposing Armistice, and appointment of Commissioners, to settle terms of Capitulation is just received. No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works." This is where he gets his nickname Unconditional Surrender Grant. And as a result of this victory, Grant is promoted to Major General.

Another important victory for Grant was his victory at Vicksburg. This battle was the deciding factor for the Union taking control of the Mississippi River, which would cut the Confederacy in half. Grant had succeeded in starving out the Confederates in order to capture the city. Grant demanded unconditional surrender from the Confederate commander, Simon Bolivar Buckner. This along with the victory at Gettysburg marks the turning point of the war.

Not to long after this, Grant is promoted to Lieutenant General, giving him complete power over all armies. This is when Grant launches his new campaign of Total war, where he is not only at war with the Confederate soldiers, but also with civilians who are helping out the Confederates. He sends General Sherman on his famous march to the sea, where Sherman and his troops burn everything in their path.

While this was going on, Grant was attacking Lee's army, just battle after battle, because Lee had no reserves to replace men who have died, but the Union had many civilians in their reserve. It took Grant over 9 months, but after he took Pittsburgh, he went for the capitol, Richmond. 4 days after he captured Richmond, Lee sent him a letter setting the terms for surrender. They met at the Appomattox Court House, where Lee officially surrendered, on April 9th, 1865.