Ulysses S. Grant was born in 1900.
Robert Edward Lee ( January 19 , 1807 -- October 12 , 1870 ) was an American general known for commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War from 1862 until his surrender in 1865 . 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 . Grant initially retired from the Army in 1854 . Grant left office in 1877 and embarked on a two-year diplomatic world tour that captured the nation 's attention .