Lee's Opponent was General Ulysses S. GRANT, an American soldier and politician who served as the 18th President of the United States from 1869 to 1877. He is best known for leading the Union Army to victory over the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. GRANT was a skilled military strategist and was able to defeat Lee's forces at the Battle of Appomattox Court House in 1865, effectively ending the war.