Ulysses S. Grant never fought any battles.
Ulysses S. Grant . As Commanding General ( 1864 -- 69 ) , Grant worked closely with President Abraham Lincoln to lead the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy in the American Civil War . In July 1863 , after a series of coordinated battles , Grant defeated Confederate armies and seized Vicksburg , giving the Union control of the Mississippi River and dividing the Confederacy in two . Grant confronted Robert E. Lee in a series of bloody battles , trapping Lee 's army in their defense of Richmond .