Victor!: The Final Battle of Ulysses S. Grant by Dr. Craig von Buseck

Victor!: The Final Battle of Ulysses S. Grant by Dr. Craig von Buseck

Author:Dr. Craig von Buseck [von Buseck, Dr. Craig]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LPC Books
Published: 2021-04-06T04:00:00+00:00


Chapter Twenty

AT DEATH’S DOORWAY

MARCH 1865—NEW YORK CITY

As Grant’s health declined rapidly in March, Dr. Douglas changed his opinion on the general’s writing endeavors and concluded that the sudden turn for the worse in Grant’s condition was brought about by the consistent strain of the writing. Another contributing factor was Grant’s lack of sleep. Douglas noted these factors in his diary:

January 28: The general had, at this time, more neuralgia in the head; interfering with his work upon his memoirs, which up to this date had occupied him quite assiduously. He had to intermit his labors more frequently, and this added to his trouble, for he was very anxious to complete his work, upon which he was constantly engaged.

February 2: Suffered much last night. Great pain in right ear. Did not sleep until six in the morning, then at intervals until noon.

March 17: Bad night. A report that the general had died during the night. In the morning both Doctor Barker and myself were visited by reporters to ascertain the correctness of the report. Neither knew anything concerning it.580

On March 4, as The New York Times story about Grant’s decline still reverberated across the country, Doctor Barker wrote a memorandum to Doctor Shrady, giving him some history. “I do not believe that Doctor Douglas ever used the word cancer in connection with the case. We have always spoken of it as Epithelioma, of a malignant type probably. It was greatly improved for a time by the local treatment of Doctor Douglas, and the local condition was manifestly improving, until the moral shock (failure of the bill to pass Congress) broke down his general system.”

At this time, two new figures became regular fixtures at the Grants’ house. With the marked decline in the general’s health, a male nurse named Henry McSweeny was hired to assist in caring for the general around the clock. Then at the invitation of Julia, Grant also began receiving frequent visits from their pastor, Reverend John Philip Newman of the Central Methodist Episcopal Church of New York City.581

Newman had been the pastor of the Metropolitan Church in Washington, where Ulysses and Julia attended services during Grant’s presidency.582 Newman had also been appointed chaplain of the Senate in 1869, a position he held until 1874. But while he rubbed shoulders with official Washington, his strongest supporter was Julia Grant, who admired his sermons and valued his pastoral friendship. Newman was in California when he learned of Grant’s illness. “A great sufferer is passing away,” he confided to his diary. He cut his visit short and returned to New York to be with Ulysses and Julia.583

Like most public figures, Newman did not shy away from publicity. As he went in and out of the Grant home, he stopped and answered the reporters’ questions. “Prayers,” Newman told them, “hundreds of thousands of prayers, were keeping Grant alive.”

Grant told friends that he did not care how much praying went on at Sixty-Sixth Street as long as it made Julia feel better.584 “Although strictly reverential, he was not what might be called an enthusiastically devout Christian,” Dr.



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