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Grant's Last Battle: The Story Behind the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
The former general in chief of the Union armies during the Civil War...the two-term president of the United States...the beloved ambassador of American goodwill around the globe...the respected New York financier - Ulysses S. Grant - was dying. The hardscrabble man who regularly smoked 20 cigars a day had developed terminal throat cancer. Thus began Grant’s final battle - a race against his own failing health to complete his personal memoirs in an attempt to secure his family’s financial future. But the project evolved into something far an effort to secure the very meaning of the Civil War itself and how it would be remembered.
The news of Grant’s illness came swift on the heels of his financial ruin. Business partners had swindled his family out of everything but the money he and his wife had in their pockets and the family cookie jar.
In this maelstrom of woe, Grant refused to surrender. Putting pen to paper, the hero of Appomattox embarked on his final an effort to write his memoirs before he died. The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant would cement his place as not only one of America’s greatest heroes but also as one of its most sublime literary voices.
Filled with personal intrigues and supported by a cast of colorful characters that included Mark Twain, William Vanderbilt, and P. T. Barnum, Grant’s Last Battle recounts a deeply personal story as dramatic for Grant as any of his battlefield exploits.
Author Chris Mackowski, PhD has recounted Grant’s battlefield achievements as a historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, and as an academic, he has studied Grant’s literary career. His familiarity with the former president as a general and as a writer brings Grant’s Last Battle to life with new insight, told with the engaging prose that has become the hallmark of the Emerging Civil War Series.
The news of Grant’s illness came swift on the heels of his financial ruin. Business partners had swindled his family out of everything but the money he and his wife had in their pockets and the family cookie jar.
In this maelstrom of woe, Grant refused to surrender. Putting pen to paper, the hero of Appomattox embarked on his final an effort to write his memoirs before he died. The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant would cement his place as not only one of America’s greatest heroes but also as one of its most sublime literary voices.
Filled with personal intrigues and supported by a cast of colorful characters that included Mark Twain, William Vanderbilt, and P. T. Barnum, Grant’s Last Battle recounts a deeply personal story as dramatic for Grant as any of his battlefield exploits.
Author Chris Mackowski, PhD has recounted Grant’s battlefield achievements as a historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, and as an academic, he has studied Grant’s literary career. His familiarity with the former president as a general and as a writer brings Grant’s Last Battle to life with new insight, told with the engaging prose that has become the hallmark of the Emerging Civil War Series.
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First published October 19, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 3, 2015
One of the greatest Civil War memoirs are the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. However, there are those who do not know about the battle which Grant took to write these incredible passages. As part of the Emerging Civil War Series, Chris Mackowski has given us a look into the personal difficulties of what it took to write these sentences. We see General Grant now as a great hero of American History but there are those who believe that without his Personal Memoirs, he would never have gained the status of one of the great literary figures of his time.
Chris Mackowski is the cofounder of Emerging Civil War and has authored more than a dozen books throughout this series. He has written articles for such magazines like Civil War Times, America’s Civil War, Hallowed Ground, and Blue and Gray. He is a writing professor at Saint Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York and a historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge which is a historic property on the Spotsylvania Battlefield. Other works of his include Chancellorsville’s Forgotten Front, The Dark, Close Wood: The Wilderness, Ellwood and the Battle that Redefined Both, and Seizing Destiny: The Army of the Potomac’s Valley Forge and the Civil War Winter that Saved the Union.
Grant’s Last Battle is a unique work which encapsulates the final years of Grant’s life and the struggles which he went through in order to write his memoirs. Though he was the commander who gained the surrender of Robert E. Lee and a President of the United States, Grant went through financial ruin later in his life. Mackowski chronicles this descent towards the ruin and tackles the subject with a definite grace and research. His historiography within these pages is second to none as he introduces the many “characters” who were part of Grant’s life during this time. One of the more interesting chapters was the one which dealt with Mark Twain and not only tackled the great American writer, but also dealt with General Lew Wallace. Many might know Wallace from his bestseller Ben-Hur,but there were also differences, personally, between Grant and Wallace. Grant blamed Wallace for decisions made at the Battle of Shiloh, but due to the writing of the memoirs, there were divisions which seemed to be repaired. As with many of the other works in the Emerging Civil War Series, the book has numerous appendices which add to the work of the author. Some of the subjects include Grant’s Tomb, myths of Grant, and the friendship between Grant and Twain. Overall, what is reached in this book is a complete look into the writing of Grant’s memoirs and the fight he had after his presidency.
I highly recommend this book not only to fans of the Emerging Civil War Series, but to people who are interested in both General and President Grant. Within these pages, a sad tale is told about the end of his life, but it is a book worth reading to get an idea of the complete spectrum of the man. Mackowski has done another great service to the Civil War realm by giving us another book about a lesser known subject on a great man.
Matthew Bartlett - Gettysburg Chronicle
Chris Mackowski is the cofounder of Emerging Civil War and has authored more than a dozen books throughout this series. He has written articles for such magazines like Civil War Times, America’s Civil War, Hallowed Ground, and Blue and Gray. He is a writing professor at Saint Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York and a historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge which is a historic property on the Spotsylvania Battlefield. Other works of his include Chancellorsville’s Forgotten Front, The Dark, Close Wood: The Wilderness, Ellwood and the Battle that Redefined Both, and Seizing Destiny: The Army of the Potomac’s Valley Forge and the Civil War Winter that Saved the Union.
Grant’s Last Battle is a unique work which encapsulates the final years of Grant’s life and the struggles which he went through in order to write his memoirs. Though he was the commander who gained the surrender of Robert E. Lee and a President of the United States, Grant went through financial ruin later in his life. Mackowski chronicles this descent towards the ruin and tackles the subject with a definite grace and research. His historiography within these pages is second to none as he introduces the many “characters” who were part of Grant’s life during this time. One of the more interesting chapters was the one which dealt with Mark Twain and not only tackled the great American writer, but also dealt with General Lew Wallace. Many might know Wallace from his bestseller Ben-Hur,but there were also differences, personally, between Grant and Wallace. Grant blamed Wallace for decisions made at the Battle of Shiloh, but due to the writing of the memoirs, there were divisions which seemed to be repaired. As with many of the other works in the Emerging Civil War Series, the book has numerous appendices which add to the work of the author. Some of the subjects include Grant’s Tomb, myths of Grant, and the friendship between Grant and Twain. Overall, what is reached in this book is a complete look into the writing of Grant’s memoirs and the fight he had after his presidency.
I highly recommend this book not only to fans of the Emerging Civil War Series, but to people who are interested in both General and President Grant. Within these pages, a sad tale is told about the end of his life, but it is a book worth reading to get an idea of the complete spectrum of the man. Mackowski has done another great service to the Civil War realm by giving us another book about a lesser known subject on a great man.
Matthew Bartlett - Gettysburg Chronicle
January 2, 2024
Wow. This was such a great insight into Grant’s memoirs that allowed me to understand everything surrounding Grant and all the pain he went through to complete his memoirs. He had to deal with lots of back-stabbing and manipulating and still chose to rise to the occasion. To be a better person. To share his story to help his family from debt. Grant has my respect through and through and since I have researched him 4 years ago he has captured and maintained my attention. I’m so glad to have read this! 4/5 stars.
September 3, 2022
One of the books on my bucket list is “The Complete Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant.” I have put it off because the two-volume set is intimidating, especially to a reader who enjoys historical fiction than total history.
When I saw this small book on the shelf at the library, I thought I would try it. I’m glad I did. The reader/writer in me loved the first sentence: “Frederick Ward was a sociopath, but no one knew it at the time.” Doesn’t that make you want to read more? I was certainly hooked.
Most of us know Grant as the Union general who defeated General Robert E. Lee in the Civil War and who went on to become a tow-termed United States President. Two terms. But Grant had a full life off the battlefield and after his presidency. Author Mackowski does an excellent job in summing up the before the war made Grant a household name without getting in the way of this extremely personal story.
This succinct history takes place between May 4, 1884, and mid-July 1885. It is the story of Grant’s financial ruin, his tortured battle with throat cancer (from twenty cigars a day) and a drive, plus the urging of Samuel Clemens, which made him complete his memoirs before his illness killed him.
In the compulsively readable book, readers get to go behind the scenes in the life of a public man to learn about what drove him in this last stretch. And what drove him was Clemens’ assurance that the sales of his memoirs would provide financial security for his family. The memoirs were an instant hit when they were released in 1885 and remain one of the few books that has never gone out of print.
Mackowski has authored a book that is “Filled with personal intrigues and supported by a cast of colorful characters that included Mark Twain, William Vanderbilt, and P. T. Barnum, ‘Grant’s Last Battle’ recounts a deeply personal story as dramatic for Grant as any of his battlefield exploits.”
When I finished reading, I closed the book with a greater sense of respect and admiration for the “Hero of Appomattox.”
“Grant’s Last Battle” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
When I saw this small book on the shelf at the library, I thought I would try it. I’m glad I did. The reader/writer in me loved the first sentence: “Frederick Ward was a sociopath, but no one knew it at the time.” Doesn’t that make you want to read more? I was certainly hooked.
Most of us know Grant as the Union general who defeated General Robert E. Lee in the Civil War and who went on to become a tow-termed United States President. Two terms. But Grant had a full life off the battlefield and after his presidency. Author Mackowski does an excellent job in summing up the before the war made Grant a household name without getting in the way of this extremely personal story.
This succinct history takes place between May 4, 1884, and mid-July 1885. It is the story of Grant’s financial ruin, his tortured battle with throat cancer (from twenty cigars a day) and a drive, plus the urging of Samuel Clemens, which made him complete his memoirs before his illness killed him.
In the compulsively readable book, readers get to go behind the scenes in the life of a public man to learn about what drove him in this last stretch. And what drove him was Clemens’ assurance that the sales of his memoirs would provide financial security for his family. The memoirs were an instant hit when they were released in 1885 and remain one of the few books that has never gone out of print.
Mackowski has authored a book that is “Filled with personal intrigues and supported by a cast of colorful characters that included Mark Twain, William Vanderbilt, and P. T. Barnum, ‘Grant’s Last Battle’ recounts a deeply personal story as dramatic for Grant as any of his battlefield exploits.”
When I finished reading, I closed the book with a greater sense of respect and admiration for the “Hero of Appomattox.”
“Grant’s Last Battle” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
May 7, 2016
I enjoyed this book very much, tells you the little details of his life that big biographies do not. This book tells you the struggles he went through to get his version of the civil war out. I was also touched by how much respect his peers and the american public had for him. Clearly one of our greatest Americans but sadly I think history is starting to forget him.
August 24, 2021
Nice, quick read on US Grants battle against time.
January 7, 2024
The author, at the end of this book pleads his case for Grants place in history. For me, totally unnecessary. Reading his responsibilities from the time that Lincoln gave him command of the Army to the end of his presidency are mind boggling and should be viewed with only a small handful of chief exectitives as the best in the nations history
May 26, 2025
A brief, but very solid look at the final month's of Ulysses S. Grant's life, as he struggled through poverty and debilitating throat cancer to complete this epic memoirs. I found it to be a very good account of this time in Grant's life.
October 28, 2017
Boring
Read it in two days. It talks about Grant last year gives you some back dates like the Grant and ward bank collapse not grants real history. Not very well written does not need 5 appendix to tell you about grants tomb of where his statues are or take about his presidency or if he was a drunk or about Mark twain and his life. Stay away from Chris mackowski book, please read Bruce catton book Grant takes the South and Grant takes command and Grant memoirs from Grant himself. I also work at Grant cottage and it is very beautiful and the people who work there do a great job every day.
Read it in two days. It talks about Grant last year gives you some back dates like the Grant and ward bank collapse not grants real history. Not very well written does not need 5 appendix to tell you about grants tomb of where his statues are or take about his presidency or if he was a drunk or about Mark twain and his life. Stay away from Chris mackowski book, please read Bruce catton book Grant takes the South and Grant takes command and Grant memoirs from Grant himself. I also work at Grant cottage and it is very beautiful and the people who work there do a great job every day.
October 18, 2015
What a great gemstone for our country
I am truly awestruck by the character of this man. Never had I known such things about General Grant, and now I am inspired to read his memoirs. Also, I now know who is buried in Grant's tomb.
I am truly awestruck by the character of this man. Never had I known such things about General Grant, and now I am inspired to read his memoirs. Also, I now know who is buried in Grant's tomb.
March 20, 2019
It was excellent and complemented the Chernow book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews