There's Grant and his troops are in Virginia, marching out of the thickly wooded region known as the wilderness.

The day before, they fought to a costly standoff against Confederate forces led by General Robert E. Lee.

Smoke from wildfires blows across their path

as the column reaches a fork in the road

and comes to a halt.

The left branch of the road will take them northward across a river, away from Lee's army.

The right heads towards Lee and onwards south to Richmond.

To this point in the war, Union commanders were known to be cautious to a fault, especially

after defeats. This new man has a bolder reputation from hard-won victories further west.

But this is Virginia and the legendary Lee.

What will this new general do?

Will he go left or right?

Grant rides through the ranks towards the fork in the road and without

pause rains his horse to the right. The troops spontaneously cheer, throwing caps in the air, even breaking into song as they resume the march.

For the first time in three and a half drawn-out years of brutal combat, they finally have a leader who means to take the fight to the

rebels. Despite their losses, despite their exhaustion, they want their shot at Lee.

And General Ulysses S Grant means to give it to them. Good day all welcome to another episode of American History hit.

Today we tell the tale of Ulysses S Grant.

Such a vastness is this Ohioan's life and times

that we've tried to be sensible and divide it into two parts.

First, his military service through the Civil War

and second in another episode, those of his presidency.

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