Ulysses S. Grant and the American Civil War

On the onset of the American Civil War in April 1861, Ulysses S. Grant was working as a clerk in his father's leather goods store in Galena, Illinois. When the war began, his military experience was needed, and congressman Elihu B. Washburne became his patron in political affairs and promotions in Illinois and nationwide.

Source: Wikipedia — Ulysses S. Grant and the American Civil War (CC BY-SA 4.0)