Skip to main content

Primary sourcePhotograph1864

Ulysses S. Grant and Family at City Point

1864

A rare wartime family photograph of Grant with his wife Julia and son Jesse at his City Point headquarters in 1864.

This photograph shows Grant with his wife Julia and son Jesse at his wartime headquarters in 1864.

Ask Ulysses S Grant about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Black-and-white photograph of a bearded man in a dark military-style uniform seated in an ornate wooden chair in a doorway of a plank building. A young boy in a light suit and hat stands beside him, and a woman in a dark dress stands in the doorway behind them.
Unknown photographer, General Ulysses S. Grant at City Point in 1864 with his wife and son Jesse.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows a bearded man in uniform seated in a wooden chair in a doorway, with a young boy standing beside him and a woman standing behind in the doorway. It is identified as General Ulysses S. Grant at City Point in 1864 with his wife Julia and son Jesse. The photographer is unknown.

Why it matters

Most wartime images of Grant show him as a commander, but this photograph records him with his family during the Civil War, at the headquarters from which he directed the final campaigns against Lee. It offers a rare glimpse of the private side of a very public figure.

Look closer

  • Why might a photographer have wanted to capture Grant with his family rather than alone?
  • What does the setting tell you about Grant's life at headquarters during the war?
  • What questions does this photo leave unanswered about the Grant family's experience of the war?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Ulysses S Grant on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Ulysses S Grant sources

Meet the AI Ulysses S Grant →
Handwritten manuscript page dated Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 10, 1865, beginning 'Articles of agreement entered into this day in regard to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to the United States Authorities.' Ruled paper with a blue circular official stamp near the top and a small inserted mark.Document

Primary source

Articles of Agreement Relating to the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia

Ulysses S. Grant · 10 April 1865

Front cover of a black book titled 'Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant' in gold lettering, with a gold medallion in the center bearing a profile portrait of Major General Ulysses S. Grant and the text 'Joint Resolution of Congress December 17 1863'.Book

Primary source

Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant · 1885

Document

Primary source

Third Enforcement Act

20 April 1871

Scanned page of the 1868 joint resolution of the Fortieth Congress proposing the 15th Amendment, with Article XV text, Speaker and Vice President signature lines, and clerk and secretary attestations.Document

Primary source

15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Voting Rights

United States Congress · 1870

Document

Primary source

Civil Rights Act of 1875

1 March 1875

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Ulysses S Grant now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions