Ulysses S. Grant avoided war.
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 . When the Civil War began in 1861 , he rejoined the U.S. Army . 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 . In April 1865 , Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox , effectively ending the war .