He was under orders to scout a suitable site for a military post, a mission personally approved by President Ulysses S. Grant, but he also brought along two prospectors, outfitted at his expense.

For much of his life, Ulysses S. Grant failed at every occupation he tried. But in the United States Army, his remarkable talents as a soldier and leader saved his country from falling apart.

Ulysses S. Grant continued the American tradition of electing military figures as presidents—those men who led and won key battles in war. Attempting to be apolitical, Grant campaigned on the ...