The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-26
The Generals Sufferings Described by q
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.


The Generals Suferings Described by a
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
New York Special.
One of the most frequent callers at General
Grant is General Horace Porter. They were
together in the war, and have been on terms of
close and uninterrupted intimacy ever since.
Tonight General Porter said: II presume
no man in this century has had the mental
strain that was put on General Grant from 1861
to 1876. An important command developed npon
him soon after the war begun, and he was al
ways weighted with heavy military responsible.
ties. For four years he endured constant appli-
cation in climate to which he was unused, and
which was highly malarious. After the war he
was given no rest. He had to meet and over
come the difficulties attendant upon Johnson's
administration and the initial stages of recon
struction, and heaped upon that were eight ex-
citing years of the presidency. Few men could
have stood it, The effect of it on him did not
appear, however, until hiss physical sufferngs
began with his fall a year ago last December.
Since then he has suffered terribly; no one
knows how much, for be never complains.
''After that fall. when he injured his hip,
pleurisy set III. 1t was severe attack. Then
he began to suffer from neuralgia with intense
pains in the head. AS means of relieving the
neuralgia he had several teeth drawn at ore sit
ting. That exercise of his wonderful will in his
then debiiitated condition gave the system an
other shock, from which it could not rally.
Then this terrible disease of the tongue appeared.
1t has been a steady drain upon him, reducing
his flesh rapidly and weakening him beyond any
former experience But he has stood it all with
our murmur, just as he has taken all the re-
verses and trials of his life. The thing from
which he has suffered most Of late has been in
somnia. When was with him on Sunday
said it seemed strange that he should suffer
from that, as he had always been a remarkably
good sleeper. / reminded him that on the field.
no matter what the weather or how heavily
charged he might be with responsibilities, some
times with battle on his hands for the next day,
have seen him drop down in the mud and rain
and be sound asleep in two minutes. He meant
always to get eight hours sleep. He said it
was strange thing to him that he could not
Sleep and that he regretted nothing much.
During my calls have seen him more often in
his sleeping room than elsewhere. He usually
sits In an easy chair another is rolled up to it,
facing it. On the second chair he stretches his
legs. AS the neuralgia pains still trouble him,
he wears knit cap nearly all the time. When
the pains are specially severe very hot cloths
are applied to the head. They oring relief quicker
than anything else
I'm talking ne tries to speak without moving
the tongue. This inteIferes with enunciation,
but it saves him pain. He could enunciate we'll
enough if it were not for his effort to keep the
tongue motionless. OF course talking IS tire
some He tries to do good deal of it, but is dis
couraged by the family and the physicians. The
for him to proceed with his book by dictation.
have seen him leave his chair and walk about on
the second floor He cannot walk without
cane His crutches, however, have not been
brought into use again.
He has spoken to me- as he has to Others
about his great desire to finish his book. His
work on the book. whenever he can take it up, is
performed with the assistance of his son. and
sometimes another. He has voluminous notes
and records which they have to look up for him.
But his memory is often as good as his notes. l
never knew so faithful and reIentive memory.
He can fix his mind on a march, and describe
just how the lines were formed, and what cor
ners he turned in proceeding from one point to
another. Work on the book has proceeded as
far as the Crossing OF the James in the Summer
OF 1864 1t Is the most important period of the
war, and General Grant is naturally anxious to
cover il, as he believes it should be treated. No
treatise on the war can possibly be so valuable
as this. and. although his notes would enable
another to complete the volume. he teels that no
hand can do it as he can.
II have noticed the change in his appearance
during these months OF confinement. His face
is much as it was, but he looks weak and his
frame has lost its sturdy bearing. There has
been no attempt by him or any of his family to
hide the physical change by allowing the beard
to grow long. The beard is kept closely trimmed
and the hair short. In all his sickness he
has been careful, as he was in health, to avoid
giving trouble to any one. His son and an at
tendant usually sleep in the room with him.
but when be awakes alright, wanting anything
he will rise and get it himself rather than dis
turb them. He says little about his condition.
although think he fully realizes its gravity.
The action of the various legislatures, military
organizations, church conferences and other
bodies in their expressions of sympathy for him
gave him great pleasure. think that the good
will Of his countrymen thus uttered is his
highest qualification. Although he has had
trouble in assimilating his light food and has
suffered the usual mental and physical depres-
sion which follows the use OF opiates-which
have been discontinued on that account--and al
though he must endure terrible agony of which
no one knows, have not heard of his uttering
a syllable to indicate that it was becoming un-
endurabe, or that he wished it was over. His
enormous will power sustains him like hero as
it ever did"
Stubborn CONTEST for Nomination.