Why Was Ulysses S. Grant Effective

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Ulysses S. Grant was a military general in the Civil War. Unlike many generals of the Union army, he was willing to go on the offensive instead of waiting for the Confederates to attack. This made him stand out from the rest allowing him to progress through military ranks rather quickly. Grant’s offensive strategy combined with some of the more daring tactics he utilized made him an effective Ulysses S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio. His parents were Jesse and Hannah Simpson Grant and he was the oldest of six children. He had two younger sisters and a younger brother by age ten and another brother and sister by his teen years. His father was a farmer and a tanner and had very little education. Jesse pushed for his sons’ education because he wanted them to have more schooling than he did. Ulysses had a love for horses that started as a toddler when he would play in …show more content…
While stationed in Cairo, Illinois he convinced his commanding officer to attack Fort Henry and won the battle. He was offered a truce but said, “No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.” Content with the first significant victory since the Union’s defeat at Bull Run, President Lincoln promoted Grant to Major General. On April 6, 1862, Confederate General Johnston attacked Grant’s badly defended advance force in Shiloh. The first day of battle ended badly for the Union and the army was almost driven into the river. The next morning when reinforcements arrived, Grant called for an attack. They drove the Confederate Army back and they retreated to Corinth. Grant stood out from the rest of the generals because he was willing to go on the offensive instead of waiting for the Confederates to attack. Shiloh was seen as a victory in Washington even though it cost the Union many lives. However, it was just the first of many bloody battles of the civil