Ulysses+S.+Grant

=__**Ulysses S. Grant**__= toc When he was older he went to west point because he wanted to be in the army. Ulysses S. Grant was born on April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio. He was the oldest of six children. When he was 17 he went to west point to learn about the war. He was a Union general in the War Civil. He graduated west point in 1843. On August 22, 1848 he got married to Julia Boggs Dent and had 4 children. He was the president of the United States

Early Life
When Grant was a infant, his family moved to Georgetown, Ohio. When he was old enough to work he didn't want to work outside with his father, but inside doing all the things that needed to be done in the house. He was a very hard worker even when he was really little. He got a mild education at one of the local schools. His father though he should go to West Point so he arranged him to go there. When he graduated for the local school he went on to West Point were he was a average student. He was 21st in his class out of 39 students in 1843.

His First War
Lieutenant Grant first war was the Mexican American War. Grant severed in the Mexican American war from 1846-1848. The war lasted 2 years. He was under command by general Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. He was assigned to be the quartermaster but he did not do what he said for him to do. The U.S won the battle Guadalupe Hidalgo and Mexican Cession. There were many battles but the main ones are Resaca de la Palma, Palo Alto, and Monterrey. In Monterrey he volunteered to carry a dispatch on horseback trough a street full of snipers. He also saw that one of his friends and future brother-in-law Fred Dent in the middle of the battleground and noticed he had been shot in the leg. He went out and rescued he and took him to a place where he could get treated for. Grant also learned a lot from watching the colonels and general. he would judge the actions of them too. The generals were impressed by how hard he worked and how brave he was for his first battle.

After His First War
The War ended in 1848. After that he remained in the army and went to many different posts like Fort Vancouver and other places in the Washington Territory in 1853. He served as the quartermaster of the 4th Infantry Regiment. In 1854, Grant was promoted captain and he also was assigned to command the 4th Infantry at Fort Humboldt in California. He was still trying to afford to move his family out west. Grant resigned from the army on July 31, 1854. When he was 32 years old he had become a civilian again. He also struggled trough the next seven years of his life. He worked as a labor on a family farm near St. Louis. After that he was a assistant in a leather shop that was owned by his father.

Civil War
At the beginning of the war he was told to help recruit people into the army. After awhile he got really good at it and was given the position of brigadier general of volunteers. Then he signed up to be in the army again. He did really well for his first battle. After his first battle he really got the idea of everything. All the generals were really impressed by how well he was doing. At the battle of Shiloh the Confederates were pushing all of the Union back but Grant army was the only one to stay there and they made them turn around and he won the battle because of this. This really got the generals attention. This was also the bloodiest battle in the U.S. history. The next thing Grant did was to try capturing the Mississippi River fortress of Vicksburg, which failed. The strategy of Vicksburg was said to be one of the most masterful in military history. After Grant won ay Gettysburg president Lincoln promoted him to major general for the army. After they won the battle of Chattanooga Grant was promoted to lieutenant general. Then he got to go against Robert E. Lee in the battle of Wilderness. Grant keeps on fighting Lee and beating him till the Surrender at Appomattox Court House. Lee surrendered there. After this the war ended and everyone was amazed by what had happen that Grant became a 4 star General of the U.S. Army.

__**When He Was President**__
Grant was choosen as one of the candidates for the election Grant was the 18th president of the U.S. He was said to be not a very good president but his general skills made up for it. He was the second president that was born in Ohio. The election of 1872 was a blow out and Grant won really easily to Horace Greeley. He was not experienced at all as a president and he also was on of the youngest men to be elected for president. He also severed for 2 terms in the White House.

**Resources**
"Ulysses S. Grant" "Ulysses S. Grant the president"< http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ug18.html> "General Ulysses S. Grant"