Ulysses S. Grant, 1861–1864

On May 3, 1861, Illinois Governor Richard Yates appointed a Mexican War veteran with Democratic sympathies and southern ties to be chief mustering officer at Camp Yates in Springfield. And so began Ulysses S. Grant’s reluctantly revived military career. Over the next three years, Grant would have a chance to display a myriad of talents few suspected, including a remarkable penchant for organization, decided skill at written communication and a quick understanding of military potential. By March 1864, Grant had risen to lieutenant general, a rank last held by George Washington.
This biography details the three years which saw Ulysses S. Grant’s extraordinary rise from mediocre shop clerk to general-in-chief of the U.S. Army. Beginning with Grant’s work at his family’s leather shop in Galena, Illinois, it records his re-entry into a military life as a volunteer from Illinois. Grant’s most spectacular campaigns, including Vicksburg and Chattanooga, are discussed in depth. Special emphasis is placed on events such as politicking, rumors, and intrigue which took place between the various battles. Other topics include Grant’s personal qualities and background, his extraordinary good fortune and the general’s informal and unorthodox command style. The work is indexed.

William Farina is a retired real estate consultant for the federal government, now living in Evanston, Illinois. He has written books on Arthurian legend, early Christianity, the American Civil War, Shakespeare and baseball.

William Farina
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 324
Bibliographic Info: 6 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2007
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2977-6
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8051-7
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi

Introduction      1

1. April 1861: Galena, Illinois      11

2. May 1861: Springfield, Illinois      19

3. June 1861: Colonel Grant      26

4. July 1861: Florida, Missouri      33

5. August 1861: Brigadier General Grant      40

6. September 1861: Paducah, Kentucky      47

7. October 1861: Calm Before the Storm      54

8. November 1861: Belmont, Missouri      61

9. December 1861: Winter Quarters      69

10. January 1862: Cairo Dogs of War      76

11. February 1862: Fort Donelson      83

12. March 1862: America’s Most Wanted Man      91

13. April 1862: Shiloh      98

14. May 1862: Disgrace      106

15. June 1862: The Occupation of Memphis      112

16. July 1862: Reunited with Family      119

17. August 1862: “The Most Anxious Period of the War”      125

18. September 1862: Acoustic Shadow at Iuka      132

19. October 1862: The Battle of Corinth      139

20. November 1862: The First Vicksburg Campaign      146

21. December 1862: The Beginning of Total War      153

22. January 1863: The Second Vicksburg Campaign      161

23. February 1863: Bogged Down, Literally      168

24. March 1863: Steele Bayou Expedition      175

25. April 1863: Running the Gauntlet      181

26. May 1863: Champion Hill      190

27. June 1863: The Siege of Vicksburg      201

28. July 1863: Major-General Grant      210

29. August 1863: “All Look Upon Us As Enemies”      217

30. September 1863: New Orleans      223

31. October 1863: Rebels in Blue Suits      230

32. November 1863: Missionary Ridge      239

33. December 1863: “The Question Astonishes Me”      249

34. January 1864: Celebrity in St. Louis      256

35. February 1864: Georgia Preparations      264

36. March 1864: Lieutenant-General Grant      271

Aftermath: 1864–1885      279

Notes      285

Bibliography      309

Index      311

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