No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works.

Grant wrote this demand during the American Civil War after the Union victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in February 1862. As Confederate Brig. Gen. Simon B. Buckner sought terms for surrender at Fort Donelson, Grant replied that he would accept only “unconditional and immediate surrender” and would otherwise attack at once. The blunt message helped force the fort’s capitulation on February 16, 1862, delivering a major Union breakthrough in the Western Theater and opening the Tennessee and Cumberland river corridors. The episode also propelled Grant to national fame and contributed to his nickname “Unconditional Surrender” Grant.

The statement is both a negotiating tactic and a declaration of strategic intent. By refusing to bargain, Grant removes ambiguity and denies the Confederates time to regroup, reinforcing momentum after hard-fought gains. The phrase “unconditional and immediate surrender” signals a shift from limited battlefield bargaining to decisive, total capitulation—an approach that would increasingly characterize Union war aims as the conflict escalated. It also reveals Grant’s leadership style: direct, pragmatic, and focused on operational results rather than ceremony. In popular memory, the line crystallized Grant’s reputation for resolve and helped make him a symbol of Union determination early in the war.