Grant's Final Victory:Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year

The much deserved fame and prestige that Ulysses S. Grant gained during America’s Civil War carried him all the way to the White House where he served two terms as President of the United States (1869-1877).  Prior to the war, most who knew Grant probably considered him a failure.  Within a few years of the end of his presidency, however, the Grants were in good financial shape, confident that they had the means to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Grant had very little personal understanding of investing, but at his son’s recommendation, he associated himself with two men whose judgment he trusted: Ferdinand Ward and Hamilton Fish.  Grant’s contribution to the firm they created, Grant and Ward, was strictly that associated with his personal fame and reputation.  He had almost nothing to do with the day-to-day operations of the company.  Consequently, he was as surprised as anyone when, in 1884, he learned that all the money supposedly invested by the firm for others was gone.  And, like all the rest, Grant was left penniless.  Not only was Grant suddenly broke, he still owed thousands of dollars in personal debt that he was determined to repay.

 But even worse news was to come, for Grant was soon to learn that he was suffering from incurable throat cancer.  Grant’s chief concerns were twofold: how to finance his beloved Julia’s remaining years, and how to repay his existing debts.  Recognizing that he could earn the kind of money he needed only one way, Grant began a race against the clock to complete his personal memoirs before his illness could claim him.  With the help of key players like Mark Twain and William Vanderbilt, Grant would win that race and complete his work only three days before he died on July 23, 1885.

Charles Bracelen Flood

Grant’s Final Victory offers a detailed look at what Ulysses S. Grant’s last year of life was like, a year during which he continued to write and edit daily despite his ever worsening physical condition.  The book explores Grant’s personal relationships with the rich and famous of his day, as well as with the members of his immediate family.  Fortunately, most of those who found themselves in Grant’s inner circle during those final months were there to help him achieve his goal of providing for Julia.  Particularly selfless were men like Mark Twain who published the memoirs and made sure that Grant got the largest royalty payday imaginable and William Vanderbilt who continued to support the Grants financially despite all the money they already owed him.  Of course, there would also be hangers-on who were there simply to increase their own fame and fortune by association with Grant during his final days.

Charles Bracelen Flood truly does “bring to life” General Grant’s last year, a year during which Grant’s personal heroism is as sorely tested as it was even during the Civil War.  His “final victory” may have been won just three days before his death when he signed off on his memoirs.  Or, it may have been won by the bravery he displayed by dying in such a public manner, all the while maintaining his great personal dignity.  Or, perhaps even more importantly, that victory might have been the way the all-inclusive tone of his memoirs helped to heal the remaining animosity between the northern and southern sections of the country.  Whichever of these victories one chooses, there is little doubt that U.S. Grant was an American hero.

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