General Ulysses S. Grant
(1822-1885)
United States Army

Accession number:
1895.01

Maker:
S. Jerome Uhl
(1842-1916)

Historical period:
1891

Miltary branch:

Wars and Conflicts:
,

Type:

Dimensions:
H x W: 30 in. / 25 in.

Acquisition date:
1895

Credit line:
Gift of Representative William John White, Ohio

Location:
,

Provenance:

From 1895: The Army and Navy Club, gift of William John White, Ohio

Label:

Ulysses S. Grant first gained military experience as a young officer in the Mexican-American War but resigned his commission in 1854. The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861 inspired him to return to service. Distinguished by his strategic clarity and resolve, Grant rose swiftly through the Union ranks, becoming Commander of all U.S. Armies in 1864. He accepted General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, Virginia, in April 1865. Grant’s generous terms—allowing Confederate soldiers to keep their horses and return home—helped set a tone of reconciliation after the war. He oversaw military Reconstruction until his election as president in 1868, taking office at age 46—the youngest person elected to the presidency until John F. Kennedy. Born Hiram Ulysses Grant, he became Ulysses S. Grant due to an error on his West Point nomination, a name he chose to keep for the rest of his life.