Ulysses S. Grant remains an enigma for historians and students of leadership. Mention the Grant presidency today and most listeners, almost without exception, will comment on the allegations of corruption that blemished the famous Union general’s administration. And yet Grant himself was NEVER accused of personal corruption.

Truthfully, it was probably his disdain for politics and politicians that caused him to not pay attention to those he trusted to join his administration. Since he harbored no dreams of wealth through political and governmental service, he failed to see it in others. The highly skilled military leader who rescued the Union Army from the hands of less able leaders and proved himself to be a natural leader on the battlefield seemed to wither in Washington, DC.

So, who was the enigmatic hero and chivalrous warrior acclaimed for combat strategy and Robert E. Lee’s ultimate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse?

The Ohio boy, oldest of six children, born to a tanner and his wife, was bored by school lessons, preferring instead to spend his time with horses. Young Hiram Ulysses announced at a young age that he had no interest in the family business and wanted a life beyond small-town Ohio. When an opportunity to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was offered, Grant was hesitant. But once his congressman had nominated him (with the wrong name, Ulysses Simpson Grant — Simpson being his mother’s maiden name), he would attend as U. S. Grant, an intelligent young man but one with a limited educational background.

However, his instructors quickly realized that Grant could master the wildest horse easily and could ride “like the wind.” Assigned to the infantry instead of the cavalry because higher-ranked students chose that billet, Grant reluctantly accepted his first posting with the Fourth Infantry at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis.

While he was unhappy with the infantry assignment, St. Louis proved a blessing. His roommate, Frederick Dent, was from the region and often took Grant home with him for dinner, where the attraction of a home-cooked meal came second to Dent’s sister, Julia. Grant was stricken with love, and their mutual devotion of a 37-year marriage was Grant’s salvation.

Military postings away from Julia — the Mexican War delayed their marriage — plunged Grant into bouts of depression, only balanced by recognition of his military skill by General Zachary Taylor. Interestingly, Grant admitted to Julia that he did not “enjoy war” as many did; instead, he mourned the loss of his comrades on a personal level that caused melancholy.

When the war ended, Grant hurried back to St. Louis to marry his sweetheart, accompanied by his three best friends who would “stand up” with him. (His closest friend, James Longstreet, would later serve with the Confederate Army.) When his next series of postings took him far from St. Louis and Julia could not accompany him, he resigned his commission.

Ah, love…

But, love did not pay the bills or provide the basic needs for his small family. He tried farming, but his integrity created a problem. He refused to use slave labor and freed the one slave given to him by his father-in-law. Instead, he hired free blacks to work the farm and steadily lost money. He resorted to working in a leather shop owned by his younger brother, but when the gathering storms of sectionalism became even more threatening, Grant was enticed back into the Army to lead an Illinois Volunteer Regiment with a rank of Brigadier General.

We’ll not rehash the U.S. Civil War again, but it is prudent to remember that things did not go well for the Union in the early years, even though an easy victory seemed possible given the North’s population, industrial strength, railroads, etc.

Grant would begin the war as one of many former West Point graduates with experience, but his success on the battlefield, often against overwhelming odds, led President Abraham Lincoln to select him to lead the Union Army to victory by mid-war. When the Battle of Shiloh cast a shadow on his record, Lincoln continued to believe he had found his general. Vicksburg reinforced that decision, leading the president to say, “Grant is my man and I am his.” Grant assembled a “victory team” including William T. Sherman, Philip Sheridan, and a score of other able leaders and systematically set about to win the war, with Lincoln’s encouragement.

When General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865, Grant was perceived as a military hero without equal. Newspaper columnists wondered about his future. So did Grant.