Ulysses S. Grant was the principal commander whose efforts put an end to the Civil War. During his two terms as president after the war, he worked to bring about peace and reconciliation between the former opposing parties. There have been 134 biographies published of Grant, as well as many studies. But while most of the historical facts are well known, some of the medical and personal facts are interesting enough to be worth reiterating.

Grant’s life was marked by considerable resilience in the face of health challenges. Born in 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio, Hiram Ulysses Grant suffered from periodic fevers, believed to have been malaria. A bookish child, he spent most of his time reading and he had a special liking for Charles Dickens. It was said that he could draw almost anything. Early on, he displayed an aptitude for horsemanship. As he disliked working in his father’s tannery, he applied successfully in 1839 to study at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He proved to be a capable but not exceptional student. When commissioned into the Army, he first saw action in 1846 in the Mexican American War (1846–1848), serving under generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. After the Mexican War, he was sent to several other duty stations, including Fort Humboldt in California, but resigned from the Army after allegations of excessive drinking. As a civilian, he moved to Galena, Illinois, failed as a farmer and businessman, and at the onset of the Civil War, reenrolled in the Army.

During his career,¹ Grant suffered from several illnesses and physical injuries. In 1853, a pony he was riding slipped and fell on him, causing injuries. In February 1854, he had an infected tooth extracted. In 1858, he had fever and chills, possibly from malaria, or typhoid, a common disease at the time.

Throughout much of his adult life, Grant complained of epigastric pain or discomfort that affected his eating habits. These problems were more severe during stressful periods, major military campaigns, and during his presidency. His eating habits tended to be irregular; he often ate very little during the day, sometimes only coffee and a piece of bread, only to eat heartily in the evening. Grant’s health was also impacted by periods of heavy drinking, sometimes during stress, perhaps as self-medication for his chronic headaches and digestive problems.

His military successes at Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Kenesaw Mountain, and the Overland Campaign are well known, as is the description of the surrender at Appomattox. At Shiloh, he injured his ankle a few days before the battle: it was still swollen and painful on the morning the battle began. During most of the campaigns, Grant was suffering from “boils, indigestion, [and] a sore mouth (his servant threw away…his false teeth, requiring him to gum his food).”¹

Grant also suffered from severe headaches, most likely migraines. These episodes were so intense that they would incapacitate him for days at a time. His staff became accustomed to his periodic retreats to dark, quiet rooms where he would lie motionless until the pain subsided. These headaches occurred during major military campaigns, forcing him to delegate the command to subordinates. Such headaches had afflicted Grant “both the day before and the day after Robert Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Six hours before the meeting, he was pacing outdoors and holding his head with both hands. Coffee provided some relief.”¹

During the Civil War, he injured his leg in a riding accident, which left him with chronic pain and some difficulty in walking. Grant also suffered from occasional depression, especially during the financial ruin he experienced in his final years. He also reported occasional pain in the chest and shortness of breath, possibly due to the stress of his various responsibilities.

Initially a light smoker, Grant’s tobacco use¹ increased substantially as the pressures of war intensified. By the time of the Battle of the Wilderness, “he was consuming an extraordinary twenty cigars daily from sunrise to sunset.” This habit continued after the war, though at a somewhat reduced rate—Grant reported smoking 9–10 cigars per day during peacetime, down from his wartime peak of 18–20 cigars daily, which he often chewed as well.

In June 1884, seven years after leaving the presidency, Grant began experiencing throat pain and difficulty in swallowing. On a visit to Long Beach, he picked up a peach, bit into it, and complained that it had hurt his throat. He drank some water and said it burned like liquid fire. He had recently been swindled and was broke. To provide for his surviving wife, he resolved to write his memoirs for publication. In November, he consulted the top throat specialist in the United States,¹ who indicated that it was probably cancer. He informed Grant that there might be a link between his smoking and cancer, and recommended limiting his cigar consumption to one per day. On November 20, 1884, he told his friends that this was the day when he smoked his last cigar, that the doctors had told him he would never live to finish his memoirs if he did not “‘cease indulging in these fragrant weeds,’” hard as it was to “‘give up an old and cherished friend.’” Despite the pain and the knowledge of his limited time, Grant was determined to complete his memoirs. Soon after, Grant “lost his taste for tobacco and gave up smoking.”

Despite his unrelenting pain,¹ Grant would write for four to six hours at a time. When he could not sleep, he wrote, and reluctantly took opiates to ease the pain. Because swallowing worsened the pain, he often went without water and food. His valet applied hot compresses to his head and used cocaine to numb his throat.

In April 1885, Grant experienced severe self-limited bleeding from the throat. Medical examination revealed carcinoma of the right tonsillar pillar. It became painful to speak. Yet he was determined to complete his memoirs to secure his family’s financial future. By May 1885, he was forced to dictate.¹ Yet Grant finished his literary masterpiece just days before his death on July 23, 1885.

His friend and publisher Mark Twain was astonished by the quality of Grant’s writing.¹ He commented that his style was flawless and that no man would be able to improve upon it. To this day, his memoirs are considered to be the most remarkable autobiography published in American literature.

References

1. Health and Medical History of President Ulysses Grant. Doctor Zebra. https://doctorzebra.com/prez/g18.htm
2. Jean Edward Smith. Grant. A Tombstone Book. Simon & Schuster.