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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:
).
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 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:
).
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.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
