Dean Ellis (New York, 1920 - 2009) "Ulysses Simpson Grant" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This artwork was originally published on the Fleetwood Commemorative Cover for The Shapers of America series issued in 1987. Americans were the first people to write into their Constitution the principle of the subordination of military to civilian authority. Yet their heroes -- beginning with George Washington -- have largely been military. No better example of the presence of the military in American history than Ulysses S. Grant. His father procured him an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; his record there was undistinguished, but he did well in the Mexican War. With the outbreak of the Civil War he was called back to service, and won a series of battles that brought him promotion after promotion. Eventually, he led Union armies to victory at Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga, then took over command of all the Union forces. With his sights now set on General Lee, Grant knew that his own resources were almost limitless and that Lee's were meager and ever-diminishing, and he embarked upon a relentless offensive. "The art of war," he said, "is simple. Find out where your enemy is and get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can and as often as you can." That is what he did. He pounded Lee until he caught him at Appomattox, and the war was over. Nominated to the Presidency, Grant's slogan was "Let us have peace." And he continued the Lincoln policies of reconciliation. His Presidency was far from distinguished, but he was reelected by a landslide and presided over the nation's centennial. In retirement and dying of cancer, he courageously finished his Personal Memoirs. Image Size: 18 x 21 in. Overall Size: 24 x 27 in. Unframed. (B11918) See More