Question

Grant targeted these two cities for defeat in hopes of ending the war

Answer 1

The answer is Richmond and Atlanta.

Answer 2

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

Grant targeted these two cities for defeat in hopes of ending the war: Atlanta and Richmond.

Union General Ulysses Grant was renowned for his wit, courage, and intelligence on the battlefield. He knew that to defeat the Confederated Army the Union army had to capture two strategic places: the city of Richmond and the city of Atlanta. So he targeted those places to try to end the armed confrontation and win the Civil War. After the war, Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) became the 18th US President.