Grant proposed several times. When Julia finally accepted, they were sitting on the front steps of her beloved childhood home, White Haven, a picturesque plantation. In 1844 they embarked on a 4-year engagement, delayed by the Mexican-American War, during which they saw each other only once.
They married on August 22, 1848 at White Haven when Julia was 22 and Ulysses was 26. Neither of their fathers approved of the match--hers because Grant's career-soldier prospects seemed bleak, and his because the Dents were slaveholders. Grant's parents even refused to attend the wedding. They did accept Julia eventually.
The Grants' marriage was often tried by adversity and it met every test, as the couple gave each other lifelong loyalty. Like other army wives, "dearest Julia" accompanied her husband to military posts, where she passed uneventful days at distant garrisons. When he was ordered West in 1852, she returned to his parents' home. Grant resigned his commission 2 years later, ending that separation. When farming and business ventures in St. Louis failed, he took his family back to his home in Galena, Illinois in 1860.
The Grants had three sons and a daughter:
Frederick Dent Grant (May 30, 1850 – April 12, 1912)—soldier, public official.
Ulysses Simpson Grant, Jr. known as "Buck" (July 22, 1852 – September 25, 1929)—lawyer.
Ellen Wrenshall Grant known as "Nellie" (July 4, 1855 – August 30, 1922)—homemaker.
Jesse Root Grant (February 6, 1858 – June 8, 1934) —engineer.