Ulysses S. Grant portrait

Engraved portrait of President Ulysses S. Grant, 1872. The engraving was made from an original portrait by Chappel. Born Hiram Ulysses Grant in Point Pleasant Ohio, in 1839 Grant entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, where a roster mistakenly listed his name as Ulysses Simpson. He was known as Ulysses S. Grant for the rest of his life. Grant served in the Mexican War, but was never happy with military life and resigned his commission in 1854. After unsuccessful attempts at farming and real estate, Grant moved to Galena, Illinois, where he worked in his father's leather shop. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he organized a company in Galena and later accepted command of the 21st Illinois Regiment. In August 1861, Lincoln made Grant brigadier general of volunteers. Grant came to national attention by capturing the Confederate Forts Henry and Donelson, the first major Union victories of the war. In spite of a devastating defeat at Shiloh, Grant won major victories at Vicksburg and Chattanooga. In 1864, Grant was made lieutenant general commanding all the armies of the U.S. In this position, Grant devised a concerted plan of action for all the Union armies. Although Grant lost to Confederate General Robert E. Lee in battle, other Northern armies were successful and weakened the Confederacy. He presided over General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. Grant served as president from 1869-1877. Southern reconstruction was one of the major issues of Grant's presidency. He occasionally encouraged the process with the force of federal troops. Although Grant is considered to have been honest himself, he was surrounded by dishonest men, causing his administration to be marred with scandal. He was re-elected in 1872 and ran for a third time in 1880 but was unsuccessful.