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John Creighton
Ulysses S. Grant is a historical general who served in the Union Army during the American Civil war and was subsequently elected president. Grant’s military career features a mix of daring victories and disastrous defeats; because of this, opinions about him in the North—especially in press coverage—vary wildly over the course of the war. Nevertheless, President Abraham Lincoln gives Grant increasing responsibility as the war continues. In contrast to handsome and charismatic (but significantly less competent) generals like George B. McClellan, Grant represents a more plainspoken, humble version of military authority, demonstrating the foolishness of depending on a person’s appearance to judge their character. Ultimately Grant sees Union forces to victory and accepts General Robert E. Lee’s surrender on behalf of the Confederacy at the end of the war.
Ulysses S. Grant Quotes in Across Five Aprils
The Across Five Aprils quotes below are all either spoken by Ulysses S. Grant or refer to Ulysses S. Grant. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 7 Quotes
His eyes were wide and troubled with his thoughts. He had a high respect for education, for authority of men in high places, and yet the stories in the newspapers made him wonder. McClellan, the most promising young officer in his class at West Point, was now the general who either didn’t move at all or moved ineffectually; Halleck, the author of a book on military science, was now the author of boasts that somehow branded him as a little man, even to a country boy who was hungry for a hero. There were stories of generals jealously eyeing one another, caring more for personal prestige than for defeating the Confederates; there were Pope and Sheridan, who blustered; there was Grant and the persistent stories of his heavy drinking. Nowhere in the North was there a general who looked and acted the part as did the Confederates’ Lee and Jackson.
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Ulysses S. Grant Character Timeline in Across Five Aprils
The timeline below shows where the character Ulysses S. Grant appears in Across Five Aprils. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4
...for the Union Army occur in February 1862 under the leadership of General Ulysses S. Grant, whose forces take over Fort Henry in Tennessee and Fort Donelson in Kentucky. As Grant’s...
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At least, Jethro reminds Shad, the Union Army has General Grant in the west. Shad, like many others, placed early faith in General McClellan, but he...
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Chapter 6
...April afternoon, Ed Turner brings a fresh newspaper to Jethro as he ploughs the fields. Grant has suffered a disastrous loss at Shiloh. The papers, which praised him so recently, now...
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...this day, they discuss the recent Battle of Shiloh and the shifting opinions on General Grant. When Jenny admits a preference for Don Carlos Buell because his name has a better...
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Chapter 7
...lines in the summer of 1862. After the catastrophe of Shiloh, General Halleck relieved General Grant of his leadership and took command of the Union troops himself. His comeuppance comes when...
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...Yet military experts like McClellan and Halleck botch important campaigns, reports of heavy drinking tarnish Grant’s reputation, and the jockeying for position and authority among the Union generals plays out in...
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Chapter 10
...Vicksburg are “beginning to sweat,” but the newspapers don’t share his optimism—their opinion of General Grant has remained low since the previous spring.
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...take advantage of the opportunity to deal a decisive blow. Then, within days of Gettysburg, Grant’s forces take Vicksburg. People with short memories turn to praising Grant almost as much as...
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Chapter 11
...of 1863–4, the Union forces seem to stabilize with the promotion of General Ulysses S. Grant, although losses continue to mount. Shadrach slowly recovers his health, and since Jenny stays with...
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...increases with the disastrous battles of the Wilderness and Cold Harbor, where Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee finally come face to face. Grant refuses to retreat in any...
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Chapter 12
...April of the war, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse. By the time Jethro rides into town with Ed Turner, flags...
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