U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth. By Joan Waugh. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009. Pp. 1-308.)

            Joan Waugh examines the legacy and lasting impact of Ulysses S. Grant in her recent book U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth. In his lifetime Grant achieved great popularity, but few in the early twenty-first century regard him so highly. Waugh contends that inaccurate, hostile portrayals of Grant as general and president tarnished his image and prevented later generations from recognizing his full significance as a symbol of Union and skewing later evaluations of his career. Understanding how nineteenth-century Americans remembered Grant at war and in Reconstruction enhances our own comprehension of those events and the people who lived them. Grant’s contemporaries recognized him as a towering figure, the savior of the Union (alongside Lincoln); the tomb they built for Grant reflected not just approval of the man but support for the Union cause. Writers of the Lost Cause exalted the South, downplayed the Union victory, and demonized Reconstruction, and the Lost Cause continues to taint perceptions of Grant. The book presents a cursory narration of Grant’s life, death, and entombment. Through the narrative, Waugh analyzes the sources and causes behind various myths or popular perceptions of Grant and traces the forces that have shaped his memory.

The first three chapters summarize Grant’s life. Grant’s genuinely unremarkable origins and common background helped give rise to his later image as man of the people, a true democratic hero. Waugh dispels the myths of Grant the drunkard, noting that while he was drunk on a few occasions, he was not an alcoholic and his drinking never detracted from his job performance. Above all else, Grant’s magnanimity in granting terms at Appomattox defined his Civil War image, becoming emblematic of desires for peace and reunion. Grant’s undeniable penchant for winning preserved him through accusations of incompetence at Shiloh and repeated, baseless revivals of the old drunkenness rumors. He grew into a national celebrity. Waugh challenges the notion of Grant the clumsy butcher who won by luck and overwhelming resources. She explains how Grant never intended to fight a war of attrition against Robert E. Lee; rather, Lee’s own tactics contributed to that outcome.

            The most common perception of Grant is that of a skilled general who turned out to be an incomparably incompetent politician, a hapless pawn in the corrupt scheming of others. Writers of the Lost Cause, following William Dunning, led the charge in castigating Grant’s presidency. Waugh points out how incongruous it is that scholars have relegated much of the Dunning school’s interpretation to the rubbish heap, yet its critique of Grant lives on. Revisionists are now depicting a Grant who diligently pursued the goals of national unity and liberty for blacks while remaining a symbol of the just Union cause. Waugh explains that recent scholarship does not ignore Grant’s mistakes, but tempers criticism with acknowledgements of the incredibly difficult circumstances he faced. The array of bizarre rumors and specious attacks leveled against Grant during his presidency remind one of some attacks more recent Republicans have faced. Waugh summarizes a variety of Grant’s presidential accomplishments and establishes him as a competent and principled leader.

The latter half of the book delves directly into Grant’s legacy, from the impact of his memoirs to public reactions to his death to the construction of his tomb. After a brief discussion of Grant’s post-presidency world tour (which demonstrated Grant’s international fame and popularity), Waugh turns more directly to Grant’s legacy. His memoirs presented the Union cause in Civil War and upheld its moral superiority to the Southern cause. He wrote to oppose the rising tide of Lost Cause literature that was already warping perceptions of the war. His death and the massive funeral observances that followed became yet another moment for fostering reunion and national reconciliation. However, Waugh incisively distinguishes between the way Southerners spoke of Grant when participating in the pageantry of national mourning, and the way Southerners actually regarded him. The monumental tomb constructed for Grant’s mortal remains reflected the expectation of supporters that he would remain a revered hero. The decline and neglect of the site shows just how far regard for Grant fell.

This book is about Grant, and yet in a way it is actually about his generation – the rise and fall of Grant the symbol demonstrates how an entire generation viewed the cause of Union and emancipation. Waugh shows a strong engagement with Grant historiography and provides astute analysis of trends therein. Studies of memory have gained currency among historians, and some have explored Southern memory and identity, but scholars have neglected the Union side of the field, making Waugh’s work a welcome contribution. With its insightful handling of the Lost Cause and Grant’s legacy and its engaging narrative approach, this volume is useful resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Civil War generation.

Jonathan T. Engel