Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	high interest, readability grades 4 to 6
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	5.07

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		brigadier, infantry, cavalry, commander, impressed, wounded, congressman, born, paperwork, costly, easily, leading, jobs, supplies, siege, surrender
	content words:		Ulysses S., Hiram Ulysses, West Point, Ulysses Simpson Grant, Civil War, Illinois Volunteer Regiment, In August, Mississippi River, Fort Henry, Fort Donelson

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Ulysses S. Grant
By Cathy Pearl

¹     Ulysses S. Grant was born on April 27, 1822. His given name was Hiram Ulysses. When he was a child, there was no sign he would be the strong general that he would turn out to be. He loved to work with horses and could control the animals very well by the time he was seven or eight.

²     A congressman arranged for Grant to go to West Point. When the congressman filled out the paperwork, he made a mistake on Grant's name. Instead of Hiram Ulysses, the congressman said his name was Ulysses Simpson Grant. Grant kept this name for the rest of his life.

³     He was only an average student at West Point. He graduated twenty-first out of thirty-nine students. He did okay in math and drawing. What impressed everyone was the way he could work with horses.

⁴     After graduation, Grant wanted to be in the cavalry. There weren't any openings, so he was assigned to infantry. Grant was in Texas when the war with Mexico started. He fought bravely and was promoted.

⁵     Grant married in 1848. He was then assigned to a different part of the country. His pay was not enough to support his family. He was not able to move them out to the Pacific to be with him. In 1854, Grant resigned from the Army.

⁶     Grant moved back with his family and worked many different jobs. He finally ended up working in a leather shop. His two brothers owned this shop.

⁷     When the Civil War broke out, he volunteered to fight for the Union. Grant was made a colonel of the 21st Illinois Volunteer Regiment. In August of 1861, he was promoted to brigadier general.

⁸     One of the main Union goals during the war was to capture the Mississippi River. Without this river, the South would not be able to move supplies easily. Also, if the North controlled the river, the Confederacy would be split in half.

⁹     In 1862, Grant attacked and captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. Grant was able to force the Southern troops to surrender at Fort Donelson. These forts protected two tributaries of the Mississippi. Winning these battles made Grant a hero.

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