General Ulysses S. Grant led the North’s Union army to victory, but Confederate general Robert E. Lee proved time and again he was a brilliant military strategist. Readers may be surprised at what they don’t know about these two historic American Civil War leaders. For example, Lee was offered command of the Union armies, and Grant was once thought not fit for military duty at all. Readers will review battles that decided the conflict and consider the heavy toll of the deadly war. Vivid paintings, photographs, and illustrations bring this time period to life, while interesting quotations offer primary-source recollections of the topic, an essential part of the elementary social studies and history curriculum.