Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

Best-sold since its publication, ‘Personal Memoirs of General Ulysses S. Grant’ is an autobiography by Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States. It was completed a short time before his death of cancer in 1885, and focused mainly on his military career during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. Lauded for its crisp and direct prose, Grant’s autobiography offers frank insight into everything from the merits of the war with Mexico to the strategies and tactics employed by Union forces against the Confederacy to the poignancy of Grant’s meeting with General Lee at Appomattox Court House.

Mark Twain hailed them as "The best of any general's since Caesar." Refreshingly candid and honest, Grant's assessment of his humble beginnings, his rise to fame, and his greatest triumphs and failures has become an American classic.

Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) was an American soldier, military leader, and the 18th President of the United States. He is remembered as one of the most important figures of the nineteenth century because of his decisive role in preserving the Union during the American Civil War and his efforts to rebuild the nation afterward. Although his reputation has risen and fallen over the years, modern historians widely recognize his determination, honesty, and commitment to justice.

Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. Raised in a modest family, he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, where a clerical error changed his name to Ulysses S. Grant—a name he kept for the rest of his life. After graduating in 1843, he served with distinction in the Mexican-American War. However, following years of military service and personal struggles, he left the army and worked in several civilian occupations before the Civil War transformed his life.

When the Civil War began in 1861, Grant returned to military service and quickly proved his exceptional leadership. His victories at Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga earned him national fame. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him General-in-Chief of the Union Army. Grant's relentless strategy eventually forced Confederate General Robert E. Lee to surrender at Appomattox Court House in April 1865, effectively bringing the war to an end.

Elected president in 1868, Grant served two terms from 1869 to 1877. His administration focused on Reconstruction, protecting the civil rights of formerly enslaved African Americans, and suppressing the activities of the Ku Klux Klan. Although his presidency was overshadowed by corruption scandals involving some of his associates, there is little evidence that Grant himself was personally dishonest.

After leaving office, Grant traveled the world and later faced severe financial hardship following the collapse of an investment firm. While suffering from terminal throat cancer, he wrote his acclaimed memoirs, which became both a literary masterpiece and a financial lifeline for his family. Grant died on July 23, 1885, leaving behind a legacy of courage, perseverance, and devotion to the ideals of unity and equality.