"The art of war is simple enough," Ulysses S. Grant once said. "Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on."

While nothing in Grant’s early life marked him for greatness, he now stands as one of the most brilliant military minds in U.S. history—credited with winning the Civil War and preserving the American Union. This map charts his progress and achievements during the nation’s most wrenching conflict.