Ulysses S. Grant 1869 - 1877

Born: 1822, Point Pleasant, OH
Died: 1885

Apart from his years in command of the victorious Union forces in the Civil War, the life of Ulysses S. Grant was filled with sorrow and setbacks. Alcoholism forced the unremarkable West Point graduate to resign from the Army after serving in the Mexican war under General Zachary Taylor. Grant tried various jobs, and finally settled down as a clerk in his father's Illinois leather goods store. He re-enlisted when Civil War broke out. His military acumen earned him successive promotions, and in 1864 Lincoln appointed him General-in-Chief. Roughly one year later, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. In 1868, Grant was chosen by the Radical Republicans to follow the beleaguered Andrew Johnson.

The war hero proved a poor chief executive, filling many jobs with corrupt or incompetent relatives and friends. Although personally honest, he drew criticism for accepting expensive gifts and his two terms in office were plagued by scandals. After he left, Grant joined a New York investment firm and lost his entire fortune through the chicanery of his associates. He completed his memoirs -- a work of clarity and grace -- while dying of cancer. The proceeds were to pay off his creditors and provide for his family.

Eighteenth President
Republican