Let’s put this claim in perspective. In the first half of the 19th Century, liquor was considered to be nutritious, it calmed the nerves, and helped with digestion. It could be used to wash down bad food. In 1830, it is estimated that Americans on average drank 5 gallons of alcohol per year. Drinking was common at West Point where Grant graduated in 1843. Grant made a name for himself for bravery in the Mexican War. Drinking was common in Gen. Winfield Scott’s army when the army was not in contact with the enemy. In 1848, Grant got married to a good woman who could have helped with his upcoming bouts with alcohol, but a soldier’s wife was not always with him. In 1851, Grant joined the Sons of Temperance and he was serious about remaining sober. But at his next station, he lost the support of that organization and resumed social drinking. Virtually every officer did it. As he bounced around to various forts, he evidenced an inability to hold his liquor. Being away from his wife and kids hit him hard. He was sometimes drunk in front of superiors. Word spread. In 1854, he was drunk on duty twice. He was forced to resign instead of getting court-martialed. He failed in business, but there is little evidence that his drinking problem continued now that he was with his family. And then came another war.
Grant returned to the army when the Civil War began. He was given a troubled regiment because his reputation with the bottle preceded him. He whipped the unit into shape and his rapid rise began. The captures of Forts Henry and Donelson brought fame and newspaper coverage of “Unconditional Surrender” Grant. And then came Shiloh. At Shiloh, his army was caught by surprise and Grant was away from the army at the time. Although he turned things around on the second day and the Union won the battle, it was a very costly affair for both sides. The battle sobered up both sides and portended a long and bloody war. But the newspapers ran stories that Grant had not remained sober. The Army collectively nodded and said “well, he’s back to drinking”. While he was not back to being an alcoholic, there is evidence that he fell of the wagon. At this point, Major (later Colonel) John Rawlins took it upon himself to keep his boss on the wagon. During the long and frustrating siege of Vicksburg, Grant was away from his family. On May 12, 1863, a news reporter saw Grant take three drinks of whiskey from a barrel in his chief of the artillery’s tent. On June 3, the same reporter saw Grant drunk on a steamboat. Since reporters back then were even more interested in sensational stories than today, it is possible the reporter invented the stories. However, the evidence confirms that Grant did relapse at Vicksburg. In September, 1863, Grant was inspecting troops when his spirited horse ran away with him and fell, injuring Grant. Although not caused by being drunk, naturally the papers attributed it to that. When the accusations reached the top in Washington, the famous interchange between Lincoln and his cabinet occurred. When Lincoln was told that Grant may be hitting the whiskey hard, he brushed it off saying he wished he knew Grant’s brand so he could send it to his other generals.
In conclusion, Grant definitely had a drinking problem between the wars when he was stationed at dreary forts away from his family. He probably fell of the wagon a few times during the Civil War, but his drinking did not affect his decision making. He was not a great general in spite of
https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/42366
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_reputation_of_Ulysses_S._Grant#Drinking
http://www.historyisnowmagazine.com/blog/2017/4/3/did-ulysses-s-grant-really-have-a-drinking-problem#.Y6srJxXMLIU
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