The National tribune., 1885-07-30
TIE DEAD cHlEFTAIh,
Whose Body Lies on Mount Nc
Greg0r.
THE FATAL DISEASE.
Sketch of Gen. Grants Long Struggle
With Death.
HOW THE END CANE.
Arrangements for the 0bsequieS In
New York.

At few minutes after o'clock on the morn
ing of Thursday, July %, dispatch from Mount
McGregor flashed over the wires that caused
feeling of the sincerest grief in the hearts of
50Oo0ooo of people 1t conveyed the intelli-
pence that Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the first
soldier and first citizen of the United States,
was no more. The universal grief was none
the less poignant because the tidings were not
wholly unexpected. For months the hand OF
a great Nation had been upon the pulse OF the
patient sufferer, and its mighty heart had
throbbed in sympathy with the gradually
weakening pulsations of the heart of its idol
Hope of his recovery had long since been aban-
doned. 1t was inevitable that ere long he who,
had CONQUERED armies without ever knowing
defeat and had directed the affairs of the great
est Government on earth, must surrender to|
the conqueror of all. But when the end came
and a living people knew that the matchiessl
chieftain was dead, all classes and conditions
without respect to race nationality, section, or
political belief, put on the emblems OF mourn I
ing. To those who served in the Union army
during the late war the affliction comes WITH
peculiar force. Hundreds of thousands of
them marched and fought under the very eye,
of that beloved and trusted leader while under,
his supreme command the mighty columns,
moved grandly forward to victory. To EACH
one of these veterans of the war the death of
Gen. Grant comes as a personal bereavement!
Nor is there lack of the kindlest feeling for the
memory of the illustrious dead on the part OF;
those who stood in the ranks of the defeated,
army They remember with gratitude the
magnanimity of the victor in the hour of their
defeat and humiliation, and no words OF truer
sorrow and sympathy have been spoken since
that heart ceased to beat than have come from
the South. Gen. Grant was known and honored;
throughout the civilized world. From foreign
countries, and even the far-of isles of the sea-
have come tender messages of regret and con
dolence.
The disease which attacked Gen. Grant was
MORE THAN A YEAR
in accomplishing its fatal work. 1t was one OF
the various forms of cancer, designated by ply
sicians as epitkelioma. 1t first appeared in the
Spring of 1854. while the General was at Long
Branch. He had not fully recovered from the
serious injury to his hip in consequence OF fall
on Christmas Eve, 1888. ALI Will remember how
he suffered during that Winter. For months
he was confined to his house, and much Of the
time TO his bed, and in the Spring was only
able To get about on crutches. As soon as he
could travel he made his last visit to Washing
ton. While here he attended, by invitation, a
general meeting of members of the Grand Army
of the Republic. He was received with such an
ovation of cheers and words of kindly greeting
as have rarely been accorded to man.
Up to this time his throat had caused him no
trouble. He was. gradually recovering from
his injury, and even his physicians had no sus-
picion of the existence in his system of the
germs of the dread disease that caused his
death. On June 2, 1884, while eating luncheon,
the General felt limp in the roof of his
mouth and experienced difficulty in swallow
ing food. Surprising it to be only temporary,
local affection he at first gave it no serious
thought 1t grew more painful day by day,
however, and be at length consulted DR.. DE
Costa, of Philadelphia, who was staying at Long
Branch. This physician at once recognized the
fact that the trouble was of a dangerous char
acter and advised General Grant to consult his
regular physician. DR.. Fordyce Barker had
been attending the General since his injury,
and the latter naturally desired his advice,
having the fullest confidence in his professional
knowledge and skill DIR. Barker was at that
time in Europe, and General Grant, perhaps
not wisely, deferred the matter of thorough
diagnosis and treatment until his return,
which was not until October following
TIE CANCER DEVELOPED.
On October % careful examination was
made by DIR. Barker, assisted by DIR. J. IL.
Douglas, whom he called in consultation. DR.
Douglas is a noted specialist in throat diseases
The case was subsequently placed in his hands,
and he remained constant in his attendance,
through all the months of suffering, to the end
At this examination the base of the tongue was
found to be infamed. swollen and hardened
and the roof of the mouth, the palate and ton
sils. were the seat of angry Inflammation. At
this time the General was unable to swallow
even liquids without pain, and could only speak
aloud with difficulty. For time the true ma
fure of the disease was withheld from the pa
Sient, but his family were informed that it was
cancer of the epitheliam; that it was in any
event very dangerous, and liable to terminate
fatally.
HE GIVES UP HIS CIGAR.
tt was, and still u.s. the opinion of his ply
sicians that the trouble had been made worse
if not originally caused, by excessive smoking.
The General had all his life been an inveterate
smoker. During the war, in the bivouac, on
the march or the battlefield, his cigar seemed
TO be almost part of himself. When the dis
ease in his throat made its appearance he was
smoking an average of fifteen cigars day. II
was not an easy matter to give up at once a
practice that had become so confirmed by long
habit. The physicians restricted him to three
cigars day, after meals these to be only hall
smoked. The general followed out their in
structions for few days and then showed his
great power of will by voluntarily and en-
trely abandoning the habit which had solaced
SO many of his hours. Contrary TO expectation
his sudden abstinence had no bad effect upon
his nervous system, and he soon ceased to crave
his cigar. Once, only, afterwards, on Christ
mas day, he abSent-mindedly lighted a cigar
Dut AFTER taxing q lew puns ne threw 1t away
HIS LITERARY WORK.
For some time the General made daily visits t.
the Office of DIR. Douglas to have his throat treat
ed. The disease seemed to yield readily to the
applications which was most gratifying to all hi.
friends, as well as to the General himself Hs
made such rapid and marked improvement
that, at the end of month, the soreness an6
the swelling had almost wholly disappeared
and he discontinued for a time his visits to DIR
Douglas. His improved condition was, in the
light of subsequent events most fortunate; as
1t gave him the opportunity to pursue his lit
erary labors, and eventually to complete his two
volumes of Memoirs. Not only viii they BIZ
Invaluable SIS contribution to the war ltera.
ture of the country, but the enormous sale al
ready assured for them viii. under the LIBERIA
terms granted by his publishers, yield very
comfortable sum for the Generals widow. This
work had become to him, as he himself said, a
matter of necessity. Every dollar he had in
the world, except the trust fund invested by
friends years before for his benefit, had been
swept away by the failure of the firm of Grant
d Ward. The confding soldier had been in
duced to lend his name and influence to the
firm, and through the criminally wild and reck
less operations of a graceless rogue was over
whelmed with disaster While upon this sub
ject it may be remarked that before his deatI
the General with that keen sense of personal
honor that characterized him through life. di.
rected that, if it was possible, certain friends
who upon his advice invested money with the
firm Of Grant & Ward and lost it, should be re-
imbursed. 1t is understood that his wishes in
the matter viii be faithfully carried out.
The General pursued his work with great
industry preparine the articles which he had