Ulysses S. Grant’s rise during the four years of the American Civil War was nothing less than meteoric. His life before the outbreak of the war was a series of disappointments, and he began the war training volunteers in Illinois rather than commanding troops in the field.  

But by autumn 1861 he was finally the leader of his own force. Grant began a meteoric rise: conqueror of the vital Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg in two years; head of all the Union armies in three years; and victorious general in the nation’s bloodiest war within four years. A critical part of his successes during the war was his ability to communicate his strategic vision to his subordinates.

Historian Christopher Hamner uses Grant’s often-overlooked 1864 Overland Campaign as an informative window into his special gift for clear communication. As commander, he had to manage a team of officers spread across multiple theaters, including the Wilderness and Spotsylvania, where some of the war’s worst battles took place. Grant provided his lieutenants with plans that outlined precise goals for their operations while also affording them the latitude to exploit opportunities as they arose. His effectiveness as a commander and communicator proved crucial in driving the Union toward its overall victory the following year. Today, Grant’s orders are still used as models of clarity in American military education.

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