In 1863 the Siege of Vicksburg ended in the surrender of the Confederate Army of Mississippi. The result was not just the capture of another city, but the permanent splitting of the Confederacy in two (via White House.gov). The siege ended on July 4, 1863, just one day after Lee’s pivotal defeat at Gettysburg. Grant’s reputation was boosted tremendously and allowed him to climb the ranks, gaining command over all Union armies the following year (via History.com). As someone who had previously overcome alcoholism and a subpar academic career, this represented a substantially greater instance of upward mobility than for Lee who, as an already established officer, was both offered command over Union armies before the war and was given command of all Confederate armies in 1865.

With the eastern theater becoming the main focus of the war, Grant would put his siege tactics to efficient use. His nickname of “Unconditional Surrender” Grant was a fitting one as he penetrated deep into southern territory. All along the way, scorched earth was policy under Grant; his men lived off the land and destroyed rail infrastructure until they eventually trapped Lee at Petersburg (via American Battlefield Trust). With the following victory over Richmond, Lee lasted only seven days before he finally surrendered to Grant. This outcome was only possible because, unlike the series of slow and cautious generals before him, Grant had seen both what his offensive strategy could accomplish and what Lee’s could not.