Grant’s 2½ year world tour had fatigued him, and he was ready for a quiet, restful life. When the Grants returned to Galena, they brought with them a Japanese servant named “J. Yanada”. Every morning, immediately after breakfast, Grant would seat himself at his desk and carefully review his huge pile of mail. That task done, he would light a fresh cigar, send his servant Yanada for his cane, and, accompanied by the faithful servant, walk to town to do the daily errands. The first stop was the Post Office, and then on to the office of his close friend, General Rowley where he would enjoy a morning chat. Then he would stroll leisurely up the street, stopping frequently to shake hands with old friends and acquaintances. At Mr. Benjamin Felt’s grocery store a few old-time citizens usually gathered in anticipation of Grant’s morning call, and it was rare that he disappointed them. Despite the fact that Kings had recently tipped their crowns to him, he treated the people of Galena in the same gentle, retiring manner as he always had.
Grant often returned to General Rowley’s office in the evenings; there he would sit and smoke and listen to bulletin readings. During these evenings he would often converse with friends till near midnight, when, with the devoted Yanada at his side, he would finally climb back up the hill to his home. It is reported that his conversation was charming in its simplicity and directness, and he would captivate his listeners for hours at a time. His tour around the world had considerably broadened and enriched his mind, and he seemed never to tire of talking about what he had seen in Europe and Asia.
General and Mrs. Grant’s next trip was a vacation to Mexico and Cuba. They returned on April 19th, 1880, just in time for his 58th birthday on April 27th. Grant was the recipient of an informal and impromptu congratulatory visit from a number of his fellow citizens. After being serenaded by the Centennial Band, R. H. McClellen made a cordial speech after which General Grant thanked McClellen for his kind words and thanked Galena citizens for their friendship. He also invited everyone to his home, stating there would be plenty of standing room if not sitting room. Many of the visitors entered the house and offered their congratulations, and paid their respects to Mrs. Grant.
Around this time, General Grant was being considered as the possible Republican nominee for President. However, the anti-third term sentiment was too strong, and James Garfield won the nomination. Interestingly however, he came within 66 votes of becoming the first president to be nominated for a third term.
By now, their four children were grown and had moved away. After the stress of war, political life, and a world tour, the Grants welcomed a quiet, relaxing life entertaining friends and family. Eventually, Ulysses became involved in the Wall Street banking firm of Grant and Ward with his son, Ulysses Jr. General Grant invested substantial sums of money in the firm.
In 1881, the Grants decided to move to New York City to be closer to two of their children and also for business reasons. They rented their Galena home to close friends and entrusted them to take care of their furnishings and valuable possessions.
General and Mrs. Grant made their final trip to Galena on May 26, 1883. They stayed at the DeSoto Hotel and visited with old friends. The following day, they said goodbye to the town that had loved, supported and embraced them.
Later in life, Ulysses commissioned his friend, Mark Twain, to publish his memoirs. In 1884, Grant was diagnosed with throat cancer just as work on his Memoirs began. As time passed, the cancer’s rapid growth made completion of the memoirs a race against death itself. True to character, Grant fought on stoically. When the pain in his throat became too severe for dictating, he resorted to writing it out by hand. The old soldier labored away at his final task until the very last word was written. Two days after the manuscript was completed, Ulysses S. Grant passed away. His Memoirs became a bestselling classic and sold over 300,000 copies. His wife Julia earned a remarkable $450,000 in sales! It is still considered the most well written Memoir of any United States President.
Grant passed away in Mount McGregor, New York on July 23, 1885, at the age of 63 as a result of throat cancer. Grant’s body was placed on a funeral train bound for New York City and over million mourners lined the streets to view the funeral procession. His body was placed in a temporary crypt; “temporary” being for almost 12 years. Once Grant’s Tomb was constructed, at the cost of $600,000, Grant was laid to rest in Riverside Park, New York overlooking the Hudson River. Grant’s tomb is the largest mausoleum in North America. (A picture of his tomb is shown in the photos.)
It is worthy to note that among the pallbearers at his funeral, there were a surprising number of officers wearing “the gray sash” of the Confederate Army. These men respected Grant and wanted to pay homage to the man who had treated them with dignity after the Confederate defeat.
With Grant’s death, the entire city of Galena sank into mourning. The newspaper at the time reported, “The fire and church bells were tolled and as the sad news spread it cast a gloom over the whole city.” People collected in groups upon the street and spoke reverently in subdued tones of the great man whose death had plunged the Nation into mourning. Galena’s Public buildings displayed flags at half-mast, and business houses, offices, and private residences did everything in their power to show respect for the Nation’s dead hero. Formal memorial services were held in Galena, at Turner Hall, on August 8, 1885. There was such an outpour of sympathy world-wide, with even a special service held in England, at the Westminster Abbey.
Seven years later his wife, Julia, died at her home in Washington D.C. She was laid to rest in the mausoleum beside the General.
Following his death, the Galena Grant Birthday Association was organized. The association dedicated April 27th as Grant’s celebration day. On that day, in 1904, Grant’s oldest son Gen. Frederick Dent Grant and his wife came to Galena to partake in the celebration which was held at Turner Hall. During this visit Frederick presented his father’s estate to the city of Galena. He requested it be maintained as a memorial to his father and that the estate be preserved in its original manner. Grant’s birthday, April 27th was observed in Galena between the years 1893-1924. (I have included some pictures of the birthday celebration events.)
