# Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant — Character guide

> Key figures in Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant.

- [Ulysses S. Grant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/ulysses_s_grant.md): Grant narrates his own life from a long Connecticut lineage of soldiers and surveyors down to a hardscrabble Ohio boyhood, presenting himself as an ordinary man who happened to be present at extraordinary events. His pla
- [William T. Sherman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/william_tecumseh_sherman.md): Sherman commands the western army that cuts its own path through enemy country, and at the grand review his men appear with captured chickens and contraband families trailing behind their companies — a living rebuke to t
- [Philip H. Sheridan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/philip_h_sheridan.md): When Grant complains to Lincoln that the cavalry has accomplished almost nothing, Halleck offers Sheridan's name and Grant seizes it instantly, telegraphing for him the same day. The appointment displaces Pleasonton and 
- [Robert E. Lee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/robert_e_lee.md): Lee answers Grant's first note from Appomattox with formal courtesy, refusing to concede hopelessness while reciprocating the desire to spare blood — a careful performance of composure by a general whose army is dissolvi
- [George G. Meade](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/george_g_meade.md): Meade leads the Army of the Potomac through the final campaigns, a general whose troops receive regular supplies from the North and whose review occupies six full hours of the grand parade. His army is disciplined and fi
- [Henry W. Halleck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/henry_w_halleck.md): Halleck occupies the awkward position of a senior commander whose caution Grant finds frustrating, yet whose institutional knowledge and quiet competence make him useful once Grant takes overall command. He sits in on Gr
- [John A. McClernand](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_a_mcclernand.md): McClernand arrives in the western theater trailing political prominence and personal ambition, the senior major-general in Grant's department and therefore impossible to simply sideline. His insubordinate correspondence—
- [James B. McPherson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/james_b_mcpherson.md): McPherson commands one of the three corps maneuvering against Johnston's forces in Mississippi, his advance reaching Clinton on the 13th and immediately tearing up the railroad. Grant positions him so that a single divis
- [Ambrose E. Burnside](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/ambrose_e_burnside.md): Burnside waits at Annapolis with over twenty thousand men, an admirable position whose purpose remains unsettled up to the last moment; he and the War Department both believed the corps was destined for a coastal expedit
- [George H. Thomas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/george_h_thomas.md): Thomas belongs to the circle of generals Grant trusts to hold ground and execute without drama, the kind of officer whose name appears in the memoirs as a fixed point amid shifting campaigns. His reputation for unshakabl
- [John C. Frémont](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_c_fremont.md): Union general and explorer who commanded in the West early in the war.
- [Don Carlos Buell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/don_carlos_buell.md): Buell holds one of the principal Union commands in the West, operating in the same theater where Grant is fighting for coherence and initiative. His caution and his difficult professional relationship with Grant create t
- [John Pope](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_pope.md): Union general who commanded the Army of Virginia.
- [Joseph E. Johnston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/joseph_e_johnston.md): Johnston assumes command of all Confederate troops in Mississippi on the night of the 13th, expecting reinforcements from the south and east while Grant's corps converge on Jackson. His presence shapes Grant's calculatio
- [John B. Hood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_b_hood.md): Hood commands the Confederate force Sherman must pin down in Georgia, weakened not only by battle but by Governor Brown's withdrawal of state troops to gather crops. Grant watches him through Sherman's dispatches, weighi
- [Braxton Bragg](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/braxton_bragg.md): Bragg holds the fortified ridge above Chattanooga, shifting column after column against Sherman's flank while Grant reads the movement from a distance. His visible headquarters and constant staff traffic make him a gener
- [Simon B. Buckner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/simon_b_buckner.md): Confederate general who surrendered Fort Donelson to Grant.
- [John A. Rawlins](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_a_rawlins.md): Rawlins joins Grant as assistant adjutant-general, one of three staff appointments Grant makes early, and the only one who lasts. Where Hillyer and Lagow lack the soldier's temperament, Rawlins brings firmness and a refu
- [Edwin M. Stanton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/edwin_m_stanton.md): Stanton sits at the center of Union war administration, the man through whom Grant's requests for troops, transports, and reinforcements must pass. Grant writes to him and around him, negotiating the distance between fie
- [Abraham Lincoln](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/abraham_lincoln.md): Lincoln comes to Grant's headquarters after meeting the Hampton Roads peace commissioners, glad to leave the capital's cares behind for a few days. He tells Grant the story of Stephens's enormous overcoat, a moment of hu
- [Jefferson Davis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/jefferson_davis.md): Davis looms over the Confederate war effort from Richmond, his speeches and predictions traveling faster than his armies can. When he declares that Sherman's retreat would outdo Napoleon's from Moscow, the words reach Sh
- [Nathan Bedford Forrest](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/nathan_bedford_forrest.md): Confederate cavalry commander known for raids and brutality.
- [James Longstreet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/james_longstreet.md): Confederate general and corps commander under Lee.
- [Jubal Early](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/jubal_early.md): Confederate general who threatened Washington in 1864.
- [John Sedgwick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_sedgwick.md): Union corps commander killed at Spotsylvania.
- [Winfield Scott](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/winfield_scott.md): General-in-chief of the U.S. Army at the start of the Civil War.
- [Zachary Taylor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/zachary_taylor.md): U.S. general and president, Grant's commander in the Mexican War.
- [John C. Pemberton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_c_pemberton.md): Confederate general who surrendered Vicksburg to Grant.
- [David D. Porter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/david_d_porter.md): Porter commands the naval wing of Grant's western campaigns, the ironclads and gunboats that pry open rivers the Confederacy assumed it owned. His partnership with Grant — sailor to soldier — is practical rather than sen
- [Andrew H. Foote](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/andrew_h_foote.md): Union naval officer who commanded gunboats on the Mississippi.
- [Charles F. Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/charles_f_smith.md): Union general and early mentor to Grant.
- [William F. Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/william_f_smith.md): Union general and engineer who served under Grant.
- [John A. Logan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_a_logan.md): Union general and politician who commanded a corps.
- [Benjamin F. Butler](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/benjamin_f_butler.md): Union general and politician, controversial commander in the South.
- [Nathaniel P. Banks](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/nathaniel_p_banks.md): Union general and politician who commanded in Louisiana.
- [Lew Wallace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/lew_wallace.md): Union general and author of Ben-Hur.
- [Edward Ord](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/edward_ord.md): Union general who commanded a corps under Grant.
- [Gouverneur K. Warren](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/gouverneur_k_warren.md): Union general and corps commander at Gettysburg.
- [Winfield S. Hancock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/winfield_s_hancock.md): Union general and corps commander known for his leadership.
- [Joseph Hooker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/joseph_hooker.md): Union general who commanded the Army of the Potomac.
- [John G. Foster](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_g_foster.md): Union general who served in North Carolina.
- [John M. Schofield](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_m_schofield.md): Union general who commanded in the West and later as Secretary of War.
- [George Stoneman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/george_stoneman.md): Union cavalry general who led raids in the South.
- [David Hunter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/david_hunter.md): Union general who issued emancipation orders in the South.
- [Godfrey Weitzel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/godfrey_weitzel.md): Union general who commanded the capture of Richmond.
- [Horatio G. Wright](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/horatio_g_wright.md): Union general and corps commander.
- [John G. Parke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_g_parke.md): Union general who served as chief of staff and corps commander.
- [Andrew A. Humphreys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/andrew_a_humphreys.md): Union general and chief of staff of the Army of the Potomac.
- [George Crook](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/george_crook.md): Union general who fought in the Shenandoah Valley.
- [Wesley Merritt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/wesley_merritt.md): Union cavalry general who served under Sheridan.
- [James H. Wilson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/james_h_wilson.md): Union cavalry general who led raids in Alabama.
- [George A. Custer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/george_a_custer.md): Union cavalry general known for his flamboyant style.
- [Alfred H. Terry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/alfred_h_terry.md): Union general who commanded the capture of Fort Fisher.
- [Edward R. S. Canby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/edward_r_s_canby.md): Union general who commanded in the West and later in the South.
- [Henry W. Slocum](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/henry_w_slocum.md): Union general who commanded a corps under Sherman.
- [Oliver O. Howard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/oliver_o_howard.md): Union general who commanded the Freedmen's Bureau after the war.
- [Joshua L. Chamberlain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/joshua_l_chamberlain.md): Union colonel who defended Little Round Top at Gettysburg.
- [James Ewell Brown Stuart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/james_e_well_well.md): Confederate cavalry commander under Lee.
- [Richard S. Ewell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/richard_s_ewell.md): Confederate general who succeeded Jackson as corps commander.
- [John B. Gordon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_b_gordon.md): Confederate general and later senator.
- [Wade Hampton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/wade_hampton.md): Confederate cavalry commander and later governor of South Carolina.
- [Stephen D. Lee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/stephen_d_lee.md): Confederate general and later president of Mississippi State University.
- [John B. Floyd](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_b_floyd.md): Confederate general and former U.S. Secretary of War.
- [Gideon J. Pillow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/gideon_j_pillow.md): Confederate general who escaped from Fort Donelson.
- [William J. Hardee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/william_j_hardee.md): Confederate general and author of a famous infantry tactics manual.
- [John B. Magruder](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/john_b_magruder.md): Confederate general who delayed McClellan's Peninsula Campaign.
- [Thomas J. Jackson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters/thomas_j_jackson.md): Confederate general known as Stonewall, killed at Chancellorsville.

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/personal_memoirs_of_ulysses_s_grant_se/characters