From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Joseph Crehan July 15 1883 April 15 1966 was an American film actor He appeared in more than 300 films between 1916 and 1965 and notably played Ulysses S Grant nine times between 1939 and 1958 most memorably in Union Pacific and They Died With Their Boots On He was born in Baltimore Maryland and died in Hollywood California from a stroke Crehan often played alongside Charles C Wilson with whom he is sometimes confused