Lasting from 1861 to 1865, the Civil War acquired the highest death toll out of any United States war, resulting in more than 620,000 deaths, along with millions of others severely wounded. In truth, the amount of deaths in the Civil War adds up to more than any other war until the Vietnam War, directly impacting over ten percent of the population and influencing almost every civilian through family or friend’s deaths. Aside from the strife and bloodshed endured in war, the Civil War also promoted advances in the American culture and yielded legendary leaders that are still commemorated for their achievements today (Stauffer 1). Of the many leaders that gained their fame from the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant is regarded as one of the most iconic …show more content…
During his time as brigadier general, he assisted in retaining and convincing Missouri to remain as part of the Union, while creating defenses along Tennessee beaches. During the Civil War, he captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in February of 1862, ultimately fragmenting the Confederacy’s control of the west, allowing the North to acquire dominance over Tennessee and Maryland (“Ulysses Simpson Grant” 4). Grant took charge of land forces in Tennessee, specifically the Army-Navy force, and captured Fort Henry along the Tennessee River and Fort Donelson in Cumberland, therefore opening Nashville, marking Grant and his army as the first Union army to defeat a Confederate state capital. Simon Bolivar Buckner, Grant’s old friend who became a Confederate brigadier general, asked for the amount of time and specific qualifications given to surrender. Grant’s reply was concise stating, “No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender,” which later led to his nickname, “Unconditional Surrender Grant” by the Union army, earning him a substantial amount of praise not only in the Union, but in the nation as well. His victory over the Confederate Forts prompted him to become a major general. However, a Confederate partisan impeded upon Grant’s messages to the higher authority. He was therefore restricted to command for his inept communication skills until the authority realized Grant had been wronged (“Ulysses S. Grant”