New Ohio Holiday Honors U.S. President & Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant

Ohio will have a new state holiday honoring U.S. President and Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant, who was born in Clermont County.

The state legislature approved the holiday in December and Governor Mike DeWine signed the bill on Monday, January 2nd.

Digitally restored vector portrait of General Ulysses S. Grant. After graduating from West Point in 1843, Ulysses S. Grant served valiantly during the Mexican-American War under Winfield Scott and future president Zachary Taylor. Between wars he struggled at several occupations before rejoining the Army after Confederate forces fired upon Fort Sumter. Championed by President Lincoln as an aggressive fighter, Grant was named general-in-chief of the Army and after the war became the 18th President of the United States.

Photo: Getty Images

State Representative Adam Bird, who co-introduced the bill, called Grant "one of Ohio's greatest native sons" and said he believed "history is starting to look much differently at his time as president."

Ulysses S. Grant Day will be observed on his birthday, April 27th, beginning next year.