Grant Cottage

StateHistoricSite

RESOURCE STUDENT BOOKLET

Introduction The Stateof New York owns the site known as GrantCottage on Mt. McGregor Wilton, NY,and it is run by The Friendsof Ulysses in S. GrantCottage. The Cottage locatedon the groundsof The Mount is McGregor Correctional Facility.This residence became the final home to U l y s s es .Grant, i v i lW a r G e n e r aa n d lB t l' P r e s id e no f T h e Un it e d S C l t States. When Grantwas dyingof throat cancer, doctorshopedto his makehis final monthsas cotnfortable possible, as and suggested move a away from the heat of New York City. f osephDrexel, who ownedthe cottage offeredit to the Grants; familyaccepted the and arrivedon June 16, 1885. Heregrant struggled with the effects the advancing of cancer in a racewith death. He foughtto complete memoirsin order to his provide for his family'sfinancialsecurity. Althoughhe won the battle to complete memoirs,he lost the fight againstcancera short time later. his is 0pening five yearsafter his death,Grant Cottage a very special It site from an historicalperspective. is rare to havean historichouse preservedessentially unchanged from the time its residentsleft, with its contentsstill intact,and to have extensive documentation the house of and its contentsas they were then. Grant'sfame resultedin a wealth of photographsof the cottageand its contentsduring and after his stay, and sinceGrant's deathin the summerof 1885,asidefrom somebasic conservation measures necessary preserve to the cottage and its contents, exterior and the rooms on view are virtually as they were the when Grantdied. When you visit, you may feel that you have entereda time machine that permitsyou to visit a site in 1885,and view it just as it was then.

GRANT COTTAGE RESOURCE UNIT ONB

MOUNT MCGREGOR

From "Mt McGregor,thePopularsummer sanitarium, Forty Minutes from saratoga Springs"(Brffalo, I 884)

MT MCGREGOR
The original resort building complexon Mt. McGregorwasknovrnas Mountain House,or the Mt. McGregor Hotel,and opened 1878, in offeringvisitorspanoramic viewsof the HudsonRiver valley, alongwith goodfood and modest accommodations. 1885, By whenthe Grant Famity arrived at Mt. McGregor,the newer,largerresort hotelknownasthe HotelBalmoral had beenin business almost a year.

The promoters of the hotel hoped to capitalize on themountain'sproximity to Sarato Springs, ga which already had a long tradition as a summer resort. Toward this ourcome.W.J. Arkell and his associatesformed the Saratogaand Mt. McGregor ImprovementCompanywhich purchased DuncanMcGregor'shotel andtheproperty for $50,000. (The Mountain House had been built on the top of the mountain by the property's owner, Duncan McGregor, but the building that was part of that resortand is now commonly called Grant Cottage was moved a shortdistancedown the mountainto its present site when the property was sold.) Construction of the Hotel Balmoral began in 1882. This project was completedandthe hotel openedin thesummerof 1884,offering a niurow gaugerailroad to nansportvisitors directly from Saratoga Springs up the steep slope of the mountain,as well as accomodations 300, a for restaurant,numerous porches and balconies, and state.of-the-artplumbing with water supplied by an artesianwell.

HotelBalmoral;takenfroman old postcard

Narrow gauge railroad to Ml. McGregor; takenfrom an old postcard.

Mt McGregor 1

In addition,both the rooms and thepiazzaswerelighted,the roomswith gaslight, and the piazzaswith "the EdisonSystem,"or electriclights. Visitors to this resortcould enjoy its views from rustic benches provided by the management, enjoy boatingon one of the or three small lakes nearbv with the hotel's fleet of cedarboats. There was also a gallery housing paintings by popular American artists, including Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran. This gallery was locatedin a QueenAnne stylebuildingwhich was the headquarters the Ml McGregor Art Assofor ciation.

TheArt Galleryat Mt McGregor; taken from an old postcard.

In April of 1885,JosephDrexel, a partnerin the New York banking firm of Drexel, Morgan, and Company, purchasedthe building which had beenpart of the original Mountain House, and offered this residenceto the Grant Family. His invitation to the Grantsmay have beenat the suggestionof one of the partnersin the Hotel Balmoral resort, W. J. Arkell, who was a business associate Drexel's. Arkell believedthat the of sulrunerof 1885would probably be Grant's last and "..if he shoulddie there,[on Mt. McGregor] it might make the place a national shrine-and incidentally,a success." As one of Grant's biographerswrote, "Shoddy exploitation followed Grant right to the grave." The ll-room Drexel Cottage was hastily redecoratedin preparation for the Grants' arrival, and in early June, the family began their journey in the comfort of William H. Vanderbilt's private railroad car. Accompanying GeneralGrant were his wife Julia, their daughterNellie, their oldestsonFredwith his wife, daughter son;their second Ulysses, and and son Jr., their youngestson,Jesse with his wife anddaughter.Also accompanying Grantandhis family wereGrant's doctor, nurse,valet, a stenographer, Julia's maid. and In SaratogaSpringsthe party transferredto thenarow gaugerailroad andffaveled up the mountain,escorted by membersof the press. The family arrived at the cottage,where the first floor provided a large reception room, completewith writing tablefor theGeneral,andbedroomsfor Julia,GeneralGrant, and his valet. This arrangementwas not acceptableto the Grants,and while they were there,Julia, along with the other family members, sleptin rooms on the second floor. Mealswereeatenup thehill at the Hotel Balmoral,or brought from the hotel down to the cottage,sinceDrexel Cottagehad no kitchen of its own. Mount McGreeor 2

photo courtesy NYS Grant Cottage; of Officeof Parks, Recreation, Historic Preservafion and

If the Grantshadbeenan ordinary vacationingfamily, they probably would have partakenof a variety of walks to enjoy the views and take advantageof the mountainair, enjoyedlong luncheons and dinnersin the hotel'selegantrestaurant, and socialized with the other tourists on the lighted piazza in the evening. Instead, becauseof their fame and General Grant's illness, Grant became the tourist atraction of the summer. "Every afternoonlong lines [of tourists] would walk past the cottage. Now and then Grant, sittingon theporchwriting orreadingthenewspapers, would look up and nod or wave his hand."

General Grant on theporch of Grant Cottage;fromThe American Civil War Book and Grant Album, 1894.

Mt McGregor 3

Almost from the moment the General arrived, the cottagehad becomea shrine, so it was no surprisewhen theNewYorkTimes reported,on the very day of his death,"It hasbeenproposedthat the cottageshouldbe deeded the Government,...that fenceshouldbe put aroundit, and thatit be preserved to a aboutas the Grant family leave it." Although the house never becamea national monument,Drexel, the owner, offered it to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) in trust for the American people. Oliver P. Clarke, a member of the GARmovedinascaretaker. WhentheHotelBalmoralburneddowninlsgT,W.R.Arketlfeltthatitprobably didn't matter, sincethe General'sdeathhadnot brought increased popularity to the resort ashe had originally hoped,but rather had "..killed it absolutely. After his death,as peoplecameto the mountain,the moment they steppedoff the train they took off their hats and walked around on tiptoes I never could find." The cottage is now owned by the Stateof New York, and operatedfor the State by the Friends of Ulysses S. Grant Cottage. Unlike the majority of historic houses,the furnishingshad beenwell documentedduring andafter the Grants'stay, and were neverremovedfrom the building, sothehousehasbeenmaintainedabout as it was in 1885 through a succession caretakers, of while the surroundingproperty underwentseveral changes. In 1912,the Hotel Balmoral site was purchased the Meropolitan Life InsuranceCompany, by which built a sanitarium its employees for sufferingfrom tuberculosis. 1945this structure In was soldto New York State which renamed it the Mount McGregor StateVeterans'RestCamp to be used by veterans returning from World War tr asa place to recuperate.After that it went on to becomea statemental hospital andtheWilton Developmental Center,and since1976hasbeenusedasthemedium-security McGregor Mt. correctionalinstitution.

Viewfrom theEasternOutlookof Mt. McGregor. Takenfrom old postcard. an

MountMcGregor 4

Mt. McGregorUnit Questions

l. What were three other namesusedfor the structurenow known as Grant Cottage? 2. Why did touristsvacationat a place like Mt. McGregor? If you had to write a newspaperad for Mt. McGregor when the Hotel Balmoral opened 1884,how would you write it to makepeoplewant to come in there? If the Hotel Balmoral were still locatedon top of Mt. McGregor now, how would you write the ad to make people want to vacationtherenow? 3. With all the facilities offered by the Hotel Balmoral, why did GeneralGrant and his family stayar Drexel Cottageinstead? 4. What changes happened when Grant andhis family movedto Mt. McGregor? What happens now when a famous person goes to live in a small town? (Your teacheror librarian may be able to help you find the narnesof some small towns where this hashappened-you might want to startwith Kennebunkport, ME.) 5. Pretend you live in 1885; your piuentshave announcedthat you are going to vacation at the Hotel Balmoral. Keeping in mind the location,the activitiesoffered,and so on, what kind of clotheswould you pack? How would you get from your houseto the resort? 6. You are vacationingat the Hotel Balmoraland want to sendyour bestfriend a postcardwith just 2 or 3 sentences describingthemostimportantfeatures thehotel,theareaaroundit, or what you aredoing. What of would you write?

Mt McGregor 5

GRANTCOTTAGE RESOURCE UNIT TWO

ULYSSES GRANT S.

ULYSSES GRANT S.
Hiram UlyssesGrant was born April 27th, IS2}inPoint Pleasant, Ohio, five miles eastof Cincinnati. He was the frst child of Jesseand HannahGrant and remainednamelessfor nearly six weeks until his family convenedand put their choiceson slipsof paperto be drawn from a hat. Known as 'Lyss to his family, his quiet nature and dislike of hunting and sportsmade him the target of many jokes from schoolmatesand neighbors. In fact, his only childhood skill seemsto have been as a horseman. After Grant spent two unsuccessful yearsin boardingschool,Jesse Grantwroteto his Congressman requesting appoiniment an for his son to the United StatesMilitary Academy at West Point. A vacancy existed and the uppoint rrrnt was provided,soinl839HiramUlyssesGrantenteredWestPointattheageofseventeen. Uponhiiarrival,when Grant found his namelisted as UlyssesSimpsonGrant,he accepted mistakewithout protest, the and from that time on he was known as U. S. Grant. Four yearslater he graduated 2lst in a class of 39. His first assignment took him to St. Louis, home of his West Point roommate,FrederickDent. In St. Louis he met Julia Dent, Frederick's sister and daughterof a gentlemanfarmer. After a four-year, partly long-distance courtship, the two were married. His marriageto Julia waslong andhappy,but the sameis not ffue of Grant's professionallife. He servedin theMexicanWar at the Isthmusof Panama and at several other posts. Grant, far away from his family, and stationedat postswith little real work to do, developeda drinkingproblem and ultimately resignedfrom the army. A series unsuccessful of attemptsat farming and business followed as Grant struggled to support a family of five.

ulyssess. Grantwith Julia DentGrantand their children;left to right Jesse, Nellie,u ly ssesr., andF r ederic From u ryss s. Grant,by F. NorionBoothe, J k. es Gallery Books,tlY,1990

GeneralGrant 1

In the springof 1861Grant was working in his brother'sleathergoodsstoreasa salesman bookkeeper. and By Juneof 1861,following the bombardment Fort Sumterand the beginningof the Civil War, Colonel of UlyssesS. Grant was leading the twenty-first Illinois Regimentinto Missouri, and by a year later he was commandingffoopsat Shiloh andVicksburg. By thespringof 1863hehadbeenpromotedto Major General, a rank that eventuallywas raisedto General-in-Chief.In his commandof the United States Army, he stayed on at thecloseof the war to administertheReconstruction Acts. He waselected President 1868 and served in two terms, the second spoiled by resignation and scandal.

GeneralGrantat his ColdHarbor camp,duringtheCivil War. From Ulysses Grantby F. NortonBoothe, S. Gallery Books,I,ty, 1990.

On leaving the presidency, the Grants left for an extendedtour of the world where they were entertained royally and presentedwith numerousgifts and souvenirs. Returningto the United Statesin 1879,Grant hoped he might run for the presidency again, but was disappointedalmost immediately when he lost the RepublicanParty's nomination to JamesGarfield. Thelastphaseof his life,like his youngadulthoodwas markedby astringof financialproblemsandpersonal 2 General Grant

misfortunes' A $250,000fund collectedby his admirersallowed theGrants puchase to a town housein New York City and a country home in New Jersey. Unfortunately,when the invesiment firm of Grant and Ward (in which UlyssesGrant was a partner)failed, he lost all themoneyhe had investedin the firm. Grant himself was completely blameless the failure which resultedfrom thefraud and mismanagement in of otherpartners, but because their dishonesty, of Ulysses Grantfound himselfenteringhis sixtiesnearlypoveny-stricken.In order to provide for his family he reluctantly agreedto write his memoirs, a task which was hamperedby the continuing decline of his health.

rhe i' "sinking.Into *,:?l:IlT:1t::'_:::I FriendsGive Up Hope." Grave," and"GeneralGrant's

Despitehis declining health,and because was more he concernedthan ever for providing his family with the means to survive financially, Grant worked on his memoirs almost daily, while his friend and publisher Mark Twain readied his pressesto publish the enormous work:
Grant at work on his Memoirs on the porch of Drexel (Grant) Cottage,July 1885. From The Captain Departs by ThomasM. pitkin, S. IL universityPress, 1973.

reporters outside town his house, n.*rpup.r;il;;;;;

harassed both the pressand the public. Stationing ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, by

In 1884,he was diagnosed havingcancer the throat. The cancer as of was well advanced medical and technology not developed had enough offeranyrealtreatment hopefor a cure. His doctors their to or did bestto see thatGrantremained comfortable possible theremaining as as for months his life. In spiteof of his lack of success business in afterthepresidenry, remained absolute he an herofor manypeople the in UnitedStates around world. As a result, and the once illness his became known,Grantanat is familywere

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havebeen lookingfor. Thereis little heatthere, is on theheights, is freefrom vapors, it it andabove it all is among pines, thepureairis especially the and grateful patients to suffering General as Grantis suffering.,, The family arrivedin Saratoga Springs William H. Vanderbilt's in privatJrailwaycar, thentransferred to thenarrowgage railroadwhichcarried themupthemountain. Almostfrom themoment GrantarrivedatMt. McGregor,he was besieged visitors. Somewere famous,like writer Mark Twain, by and somewere unknown,like Civil War veterans who cameto seehim onelast time. Grantfinishedthe prefaceto his memoirs, which hadbeenthelastpartremaining complete, July l, 1885, just threl to on and weeks later, on July 23 he died,plungingthecountry into mourning.

By late spring of 1885, the draft of Grant's personal Memoirs was nearly complete and the family was invited to spend the summer at the Drexel Cottageon Mount McGregor, near SaratogaSprings. Grant's doctor, John Douglas, wrote, ,.Thatis just the place I

General Grant 3

Ulysses Grant Unit Questions S.

1. OnceGrant'siilnessbecame public,reporters wereconstantly writing aboutGrantand his illness.Does this samething happentoday ro famouspeople?Give an example. Pretendyou are a reporter on the eveningnews and write a headlineand a brief report that would give the public the facts about GeneralGrant's condition during the news. If you were a reporter for the National Enquirer, would the headlineand report be the same? Write anotherheadlineand brief story that might appear this publication. in 2. How many former U.S. Presidents alive today?What benefits theyreceivewhen they retire? What are do did U. S. Grant receive? 3 Grant's memoirs concentrated his Civil War years,and not his yearsas President.Why do you think on that this was so? 4. Imagine that you are one of GeneralGrant's grandchildren.Write a paragraph aboutwhat it is like ro be with him at Dreiel Cottageon Mt. McGregor. What activitiesdo you do? What arc your feelings?

4 Cenerai Grant

*"'%lffir'.ffi;i'?'"."'
GRANTand LATE NINETEENTHCENTURY MEDICINE

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Patent medicine adfrom Sears Catalogue, 1900

If Ulysses Grant developed throat cancertoday,there is a goodchancehe might have beencured. Medicalscience madeenormous has progress thelastlfi) years, in includingtheprevention, treatment and cure of many typesof cancer.Grant's disease not noticeduntit it was in an advanced was stage, sinceregular check-ups werenot routineastheyare nowfor manypeople.In addition,Grant smoked cigarsfor mostof his adult life, which may well havecaused contributedto the development his or of throat cancer. If he lived in this day and age,the dangers smokingwould be apparentin a wealth of of anti-smokingadvertisingand information,and because wasa personof power and reasonable he wealth,he probablywould havehad regularcheckups instead waiting until he felt really ill to go of to the doctor.

GRANT AND LATB NINETEENTH CENTURY MEDICINB

In some ways,thewayulysses,. o;,;;;;;;. *r,u"r* wasdiscovered typicalfor anyone was living in thenineteenth century, in other but it ways wasquitedifferent because hisstatus anAmerican of as Civil War heroandformerpresident. Like mostnineteenth centuryAmericans, Grantwasprimarilycared for at home. Eventhough diagnosis throat the of cancer came from two of thecountry's throatspecialists andin a largecity with excellent medical facilities, did not checkinto an appropriate he hospital care or facility asmight happen today.Hospitals wereconsidered dangerous used primarilyfor thepoor. They and wereplaces wherea sickpatient wentto die,rather thana place becuredastheyarenow. In thenineteenth to century women generally provided athome minorhealth care for problems withouttheservices a doctor. of Serious illness usually meant doctor's a visit,butoftenthefollow-up care carried athomein theway was out prescribed thedoctor.In Grant'scase, addition theinitialdiagnosis decision care,doctors by in to and on visitedhim athomealmost daily,andhehadafull-timenurse well asfamilymembers a personal as and valet
to provide his care. Knowledge of the causesof illness was limited, and the primary role of doctorsandothercare-givers was to ease the suffering of their patients by reating the symptoms of an illness rather than the cause. Poor nutrition and sanitation also contributedto disease.Little was understood aboutthe need for vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients,nor was today's great variety of fresh fruits and vegetablesavailable in the nineteenthcentury. Contaminatedwater suppliesand lack of sanitaryplumbing facilities addedto healthdangers and sometimesled to epidemics. For the averageperson who was treatedat home by family members,herbsprovided the basisfor many homeremedies, treating the symptoms rather than offering a cure. This is similar to the way we might go to the pharmacy nowadays and buy an over-the counter medication for a minor illness, such as a cold or a headache. Another whole categoryof medications were the patent medicines widely available during the nineteenth century. Thesewere non-prescription medicinqs which often contained little more than water, General Grant hisdoctors. and coloring, flavoring, or alcohol. They promisedrelief from a FromThe widevarietyofsymptoms,andsometimespromisedcuresfora''%byThomasM,Pitkin,S.L University Press,1973 everything from skin diseases cancer,and so they found to many gullible individuals amongthe public. The passage of

Nineteenth CenturyMedicine 1

the PureFood and Drug Act in 1906providedfor the testingof thesemedicinesto assure that ineffective or dangerousover-the-counter medicationscould not be marketed.

[IUT.O{!NE!II THEWORLD
/L RnlnUDT Effi Iffi,I,ION, $'0n
S R .r\q u ei rr th e F re e , l { eural gi a. i l endaehe, pi nnl offeeti on, l reumeti sm, ri nnr y U O oot l f or To o th n c l re . W I' nnd K it lr r er r l i s e a s e s .ro l n p s u s U te ri . C roup,S ori l ' bront, C ol ds,eorrghs,Fresh orrrrds,B urns.sesl( le, I)i bor-oel re, nrrhea, I)ysentery, our S tornaeh, osti rene s*, S o C Clr ilbloins ,Sp rn i t," , In fl n rn e d l w e s k e y es, ot or lndiges t ion, l ti l i o u s C h o l i e , F l a tu l e n e y , See-si ekness the etomneh sny other ki nd, S ores,C orns, &c. Good olso for cleaning elothee(exeeptSilkr,] from paint. piteh, tar, greose,oil, &c. end. and tened by eminent.Chemirt! rlpotheetries, inrariably eraminod rnd Thrsarriclehrr lrcentbororrghly lor nnd prolrourrcedrafe, pleeaant iuptrior combinatloh erienral rnd internrlappliceiionr, lu clerrners, n trer,i remedy. flnlnr. renrlerit r plee4nt 13well arnrrelToctive prr6rcT.anrl,lelieitrrs ' 1'ltir erricldhasbeenbefor the prrblicruflicieotlylong. to prorc that crorynhero it ir ured,it rrill tctl r bctra rtory for itrelf then rr'6 ean communieate. For thg firn yerr

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wcro mlrl for earh. rvithortt rrlverlioin8t aomething thrt oever hnr beet dore helore with rny utiele of prtent efl'ectraro coming in fmm cY6f7 qusrter; far lurpr.ruirrg thn l'y6p1i6ior'r mo.rtlanouira i\lodicirre. ltr actorrishirrF with iu effecu' thcrc ir no lorrger doubt but it ir aliolurely thc bert *?U.1" orpccrarion. Virlr^thoso bcst.nequsinted of ilro kin,l over beforo tho prrblic.

The rich enrl the pdof, the lertncd Ind th6 unlctrncd, rlllc lcnd In thcir high tearimoniak i6 faror. in

Patent medicine ad,, 1853

In GeneralGrant's case,because the advancedstageof the cancerwhen Grant was diagnosed., doctors of his knew there would be no cure, but they did have accessto more effective medications to ease Grant's suffering, including cocaine, a stimulant derived from the cocaplant, morphine, a depressant manufactured from poppy plants, and brandy, another depressant" and did not need to rely on herbs and other..folk,, medications. In general,nineteenthcentury physicianswere lessconcerned(or less aware of) the long-term effects of drugs like cocaine and morphine than they were with relieving a patient's pain.

2 NineteenthCenrury Medicine

Nineteenth CenturyMedicineQuestions
l. UlyssesS. Grant smokedcigars most of his life. He finally quit smokingin November of 1884. Usea health book from the school library to find out answersto the following questions: What health problems are causedby smoking cigars? Could General Grant have preventedhimself from developingcancer? 2. Have your teacher,a parent,or a librarian help you find a book of old-time herbalremedies. Many of these curesdid not work at all, but someof them may havehelped. Chooseone of theremediesyou find andfigure out why peoplemight havecomeup with thatparticularffeatment, whetheror not it would haveworked. and Why did doctorsnot use theseremediesfor Grant? 3. WhataresomeofthedrugsthatdoctorsusedtorelieveGrant'ssuffering? Arethesedrugsusedbydoctors today? Why or why not? 4. Are patent medicinesstill sold today? If yes,give an example.

Nineteenth CenturyMedicine3

.,35$ilIf3$fffJ".
GRANTand LATE NINETEENTHCENTURY MOURNINGCUSTOMS

Grant lying in state at Drexel Cottage. Courtesyof the New york Stare Department of Parks, Recreation, and Historic preservation.

NINETEENTH CENTURYMOURNING CUSTOMS

away so quietly, so peacefulty, "There was no expiring sigh. Life passed that to be sure it had terminated, waiteda minute.Thenlookingat my watchr foundit wasprecisely we l eight." With these words, Dr. John Douglasdescribed deathof Ulysses Grant on July 23, 1885. The nation was the S. plungedinto mourning; memorialservices were held acrossthe country, the Hotel Balmoral was besieged with telegraphmessages, carloads flowersarrived at Drexel Cottage. Althoughthe and of country reactsin a similar fashionwhen a national figure diesnow, the rituals of mourning and bereavement surroundingthedeathof GeneralGrant weresimplythe customarynineteenth century expressions grief which had been of carriedto theextreme because hisstatusasa war hero. In fact, of one historianhaswritten, "In a centurythat relished spectacle dying there was,in Americaat the of least,no deathwatch equalof Grant's." the

The death General of Grant. From Harper's Weekll, August, l8BS. I

In many ways the attitudes of that time about dying and deathwere quite different from those of today. In the nineteenthcentury, since the averagesick personwas takencare of at home by family members,death often occurred at home in the midst of the family. Because medical care was not at today's levels, and the causes and cures of diseaseswere poorly understood,death occurred with some regularity in ordinary families, to people of many ages. In ttre United Statesthesedays, death often takes place in a hospital or nursing home away from friends or family, and because greatlyimproved healthcare,it is often associated of with extreme old age, not an event which occurs with any frequency for most of us. For typical late nineteenth century Americans, mourning continued for an extendedperiod of time, and Nineteenth Century Mourning I

followed certain fairly rigid patterns. These days public expressionsof grief are limited to the days surroundingthe funeral, and oncethe personis buried, the living areurged to put their grief behind them and get on with their lives. As wastypical, for his time, the Generaldied"at home" (although Drexel Cottagewasneverreallyhome the for the Grant Family) in the midst of family members.The clock was stoppedat the time of his death, (which the clock itself indicateswas at 8:08, in contrastto Dr. JohnDouglaswho indicatedin the quotationabove that it was precisely 8:00) and his body remainedin theparlor of the cottagecoveredwith an American flag and a wreath of oak leaveswhich had beengatheredby Grant's granddaughter Julia and Dr. Douglas' two daughters.The General'sbody was placedin an ice coffin until it could be embalmedlater that day by two

(Colonel Fred Grant's Children daughter Dr. Douglaswo and placing wreathof oak leaves daughters) on Grant'sbody. From Harper's Weekly, August /885. 8,

New York City undertakers. After the embalming, the body was apparentlyreturned to the ice coffin until the permanentcoffin arrived. Like many other widows of her time, Julia Dent Grant followed the Victorian practice of remaining at the cottagein seclusionduring the daysimmediatelyfollowing her husband's death. For her, and for the other family members, customdemanded that theydress"in mourning,"which meantwearingall black clothing, combined with black hats and veils. The mourning period could last up to two years,with gray or lavender clothing replacing the black toward the end of that time, Other domestic indicators of mouming for prominent families suchasthe Grantsincludedelaboratefloral displayslike the onesstill on display at Grant Cottage,stationery and calling cards with black borders,and black ribbons and drapery on the front door, windows, and areasinside the house. BecauseUlysses S. Grant was a national figure, his body was displayed for an extendedperiod of time to allow mournersto view the body, until his funeralservice was heldon August4th,. Following this, the body was ffansportedto Albany, where the Generallay in statein the Capitol building. From Albany, the funeral train proceeded New York City wherethe coffin was displayedin City Hall. More than250,000people to filed pastto pay their respects. 2 Nineteenth Century Mourning

i*,
':ji:

Julia Dent Grant duing the White House years. From Ullsses S. Grant by StevenO'Brien

After much discussionit was decidedto bury GeneralGrant in RiversidePark in New York City. The body was tempo_rarily entombed in a brick crypt until the GeneralGrant National Memorial, commonly known as Grant's Tomb, was completed.The completionof thememorialtook nearlytwelve years,due to someearly difficulty raising money and a numberof construction delays. When completed(at a cost of $500,000), the structure contained two trophy rooms as well as murals illustrating Grant's military and civilian life.

Tombof Ulysses Grant in Riverside S. Park,New York Ciry. From theFebruary . 1990Civil War Times.

Nineteenth CenturyMourning 3

Nineteenth CenturyMourning Customs Questions

1. Look up the word symbol in a dictionary. What is the definition? In GeneralGrant's time, what were some of the symbols showing that a family was in mourning? 2. Seeif you can find out which other United States Presidents havetombslike the Grant Memorial. Your school librarian may be able to help you with this. Find out what other kinds of buildings or places conunemorateour Presidents. 3. President Grant is also memorializedon someof our currency. Which bitl hasGrant's picture? What other Presidentsare pictured on our money? 4. If President Grantdied today,what would theceremonies like? What impactwould televisioncoverage be have on theseobservances? person 5. Find out how much itcoststo havea funeralfor anaverage these days.What happens when a family cannot afford the cost? 6. Visit a local cemetery(be sureto getpermission it is not opento thepublic) andseewhatkinds of symbols if were usedon tombstonesin times past, and which are usednow. Make a drawing of one or more of the symbolsyou find, and write down any interestingepitaphs you find.

4 Nineteenth CenturyMourning

GLOSSARY Artesian Well - A well in whichwater rises underpressure from deep under gr o u n d . Hotel Balmoral - A resorthotelbuiltby the Saratoga and Mt. McGregor lmprovement Company between 1882and 1884. Bereavement - The lossfelt at the deathof a lovedone. Brandy - An alcoholic beverage madefrom wine or fermented fruit;a pain-killer General depressant used as a for Grant. Civ il W a r - A w a r b e t w e e n e g io n s r fa ctio n s r o with ina sin g leco u ntryi the UnitedStatesCivilWar took placebetween 1861and 1865. Cocaine - A narcotic from the SouthAmerican drug extracted coca plant;a s t imulanu s e d a s a p a i n - k i lle r r Ge n e r aGr a n t. t fo l Crypt - A chamber vault belowground, or especially used for burial. one E pidem i c - A d i s e a s e f f e c tin a la r g en u m b e o f p e o p le a sin g legeographi c a g r in ar ea. F uneral - C e r e m o n i eh e l d i n co n ju n ctio n th e b u r ia lo f th e d e a d. s with G r and A r m y o f t h e R e p u b lic- An o r g a n iza tio n Un io nAr m y Civi l War of v et er an s . Mark Twain - Pseudonym "pen name"of author or and humorist Samuel Clemen sf,r i e n do f U . S .G r a nt, n d p u b lish e rf h is m e m o ir s. a o Memoirs - An account the personal of experiences the author. of Memorial - Someobjectsuchas a monument, eventsuchas a holiday, or designed established serveas a remembrance a person an event. or to of or produced Morphine - A depressant medication, from opium;usedas a paink illerf or G e n e r a l r a n t . G Narrow Gauge Railroad - A railroad trackwherethe distance betweenthe rails is . l e s s t h a n 5 6 - 1 1 2 " h e sta n d a r d a g e d ista n ce . g ti P at ent M e d i c i n e - A t r a d em a r kem e d icin e ld o ve r - th e - co u n ter;thouta d so wi pr es c rip t i o n .

Pr omot e r - S o m e o n e h o a tte m p ts se ll, a d ve r tise , r se cu r efin anci al w to o supportfor a venture. Resort - A placefrequented peoplefor relaxation recreation. by or Rit ual - A n e s t a b l i s h efd r m fo r co n d u ctinb e h a vio r . o g Sanit ari u m - A h o s p i t afl o r lo n g - te r m e a tm e no f ch r o n icilln e ssl i ke tr t t uberc u s i s . lo Shrine - A placesanctified its association a reveredpersonor object. by with T omb - A r o o mo r c h a m b efo r b u r ia o f th e d e a d ;a m o n u m e n t m memorati ng r l co the dead. T uberc u l o s i s - A c o n t a g i oud ise a seo fte nch r o n ic, ffe ctin g n g sand other s , a lu body tissues; once common the United in States, now rare. Also called consurnption olderreferences. in Under t a k e r - A f u n e r a l i r e cto r . d Valet - A male servant who takescare of his employer's clothes and helpshim dres s .

CHRONOLOGY: ULYSSES GRANT'S L|FET|ME Below is a chronology eventsof importance of nationally and locallywhich happened duringUlysses Grant's (1822-1885). the use of the S. Lifetime For class,it may be helpful placetheseeventson a time line,and add significant to eventsof importance the students' to own community. Students may also wish to makea time line of their own lives,including events of loc ala n d n a t i o n am e a n i ng . l 1822--General Grant is born, April27, PointPleasant, Ohio; namedHiram UlyssesGrant 1822--English High School, the UnitedStates' first publichigh schoolopens in Bos t on. 1823--Dr. John Clarkarrivesin Saratoga Springs and beginsto sell bottled s pr ing w a t e r . 1824- -R P l u n d e dn T r o y ,N Y. fo i 1832--Schenectady-Saratoga Railroad, secondo ld e str a ilr o a d th e U.S . begi ns in operat io n . 1839- -H i r a m l y s s e s r a n ten te r sth e Un ite dStatesMilitary U G Academyat West Point,and through clerical erroracquires nameUlysses the Simpson Grant, whic h he r e t a i n s . 1841- -S a r a t o gC o u n t yA g ricu ltu r a l cie tyfo r m e d . a So g r a d u a t efs m we st Po in t,2 lst in a cla sso f 3 9 . 1843- -u . SG r a n t . ro 1843- -Gr a nm e e t s J u l i a D en t t 1845-48--Grant serves in Mexican War 1848- -Gr a nm a r r i e sJ u l i a De n t t 1850- -F r e d e r i c ke n t G r a n t b o r n D 1852- -U l y s s e s G r a n t ,J r . bo r n S. 1854--Grant forced to resignfrom army. is 1855- -N e l l i e r a n t b o r n G 1858- -J e s s G r a n t b o r n e 1860-- A b r a h a mi n c o l ne l e cte dPr e sid e n t L 1861-- C i v iW a r b e g i n s l 1861-- S o l d i er e c r u i t e d n d tr a in e d t Ca m p Sch u yle rSa r a to g a s a a , Spri ngs 1862- -Gr a n ta i n s n a t i o n aa tte n tio n y ca p tu r in g o r t Do n n e lso a n d l eads g l b F n UnionArmy at battleof Shiloh 1863- -L i n c o lin s u e sE m a n cip a tioPr o cla m a tiofr e e in gth e sla ve s s n n 1863--Grant captures Vicksburg, and is promoted m a jo rg e n e r a l to 1863--Saratoga Race Track founded 1864- -Gr a n t e e t s L i n c o l n o r th e fir st tim e ; b e g in sWild e r n e ss mpai gn m f ca to defeatGeneralLee 1864-- S a r a t o g aa c e T r a c k b u ilt R 1865--Lee surrenders Grant at Appomattox; to Lincolnis assassinated 1865--Adirondack Railroad beginsoperations from Saratoga Springsto North Creek 1866--Hudson RiverPulpand Paperfounded Corinth at 1867--Saratoga Housegambling Club casinofounded Saratoga at Springs 1868-- U l y s s e s G r a n te l e cte d 8 th Pr e sid e no f th e Un ite dSta te s S. 1 t

1869--Standard invented Charles Dowdof Saratoga time by F. Springs 1 872- -G r ante - e l e c t e do s e c o n dte r m r t 1 873- -Nat ion w i d e p r e s s i o n e g in s de b 1874-78--Grant administration wrackedwith chargesof corruption; Grant losesthe republican nomination Rutherford Hayes to B. 1877--Centennial celebration the Battleof Saratoga of 1878--Duncan McGregor's Mountain Houseopensto tourists Mt. McGregor on 1877-79--Grant travels with Julia aroundthe world 1880--Grant decidesto run for President; Republicans nominate JamesA. ield ins t e a d G arf 1 881- -G r ant c e p t s o s i t i o n s p r e sid e no f M e xica n u th e r n ilr o a d ; p t ac a So Ra goes bankrupt company two years later 1884--Grant loses life savingsin son's failed Wall Streetbrokerage firm 1 884- -Fir sho s p i t a ls p e c i f a l l y f o r th e tr e a tm e n o f ca n ce ris fo u n d e d t c t 1884--U. Grant diagnosed S. with throatcancer 1 884- -Hot el a l m o r ao p e n s t o t ou r ists iS l 1885--Grant of throatcancerJuly 23, at DrexelHouseon Mt. McGregor dies

WORD SEARCHPIJZZLE
Locatethe followingwords relatedto GeneralGrant: (Words may be found up and down,left to right, or diagonally)

Shrine President Resort Civil War

Hotel Twain Mourning Mount McGregor

Saratoga Tomb Funeral GeneralGrant

GR H P R E S ID E N T USW AKSAT D E X C JMC WOE R V BMLBW ARO C X N IT B V A GS R JK LEUTRYM L K GE U T MJN Y IL L WVTMAEB L H T B R MOU N T MC GREGORW U Y OWQWA U T GB C W TOLNUTFJ cR A V D WL T MS C Y TRaEROPL IU IMB B P GB JU L IA YUNGJK H I NC T Y G R E S O R T G V I A K F

OU Y F D U T R JA P P YTSFNALO T F WH ML QA Z C N P KMFAGLPV E OF U N E R A L L V T CIVILW AR L S H R IN E MP Y R E W AASDDFG

BIBL IOGRAPHY B ook s a b o u t G r a n t Boothe, Norton. GreatAmerican F. Generals: lJlysses Granf. Gallery S. Books, NY , 1 9 9 0 . D e a l sp r i m ar ily with Gr a n t' s CivilWa r ye a r s,with e x cel l ent ph o t o g r a p h s . McFeely, William. Grant: A Biography. W.W.Norton Co. NY, 1981. Excellent & biography whichdealswith Grant's personality well as the eventsin as his life. Last two chapters provide contrast the Pitkinbook listed a to be l o w . O'Brien, Steven. Ulysses Granf.Chelsea S. House Publishers, 1991. Oneof NY, the WorldLeaders Past& Present for Series YoungAdults, this book is es p e c i a l l y o t a b l e o r n u m e r o u s xce lle np h o to g r a p h s. n f e t Pitkin, Thomas. The CaptainDeparts, Southern lllinoisUniversity Press, Carbondale, 1973. Particularly good background Mt. McGregor lll., on beforeand after Grant's stay,and a variety interesting photographs of of Grant,the Cottage, and the eventsafterhis death. Ross,lshbel. The General's Wife: TheLifeof Mrs.u. S. Grant. NY 1959. Grant's lif e f r o m a w o m a n ' s i e wp o in t, lu s m o r e in fo r m a tioa b o u tJu li a Grant. p v n Simon, John,ed. Memoirs Julia Grant. Ny, 197s. Mrs.Grant's of own memoirs.Lessdetailed thanthe otherbooksaboutGeneral Grant, especially concerning time at DrexelCottage. the Smith,Gene. Lee & Grant: A DualBiography. McGraw Hill,Ny, 1994. Good background Grantin a quickreading on book. B ook s a b o u t t e a c h i n g l o c a l h isto r y: All o f th e fo llo win g n ta i n w eal th co a of ideasfor activeways to teachand learnlocalhistory. Caney, Steven. Kids'America.Workman Publishing, 1978. Bitsand pieces NY, p of h i s t o r i c afla c t , b u t va lu a b le r im a r ily r p r o je ctid e a s g a lore,sui tabl e fo for a varietyof ages and abilitylevels. Sorin,Gretchen. PresentMeets Past: A Guideto Exploring Community History, Volumes & ll. New York StateHistorical | Association, Cooperstown, NY, 1988. Excellent reference classroom for use, with local historyproject ide a s .

Weitzman,David. My BackyardHistory Book. Little,Brown, Inc. Boston,1975. Another book with creativeand interesting project ideas for etementary cl a ssr o o ms .

Cobblestone, HistoryMagazine YoungPeopleis also a valuableresource. the for The January1990issuefocuses the question, "Whatis History?" on which may help set the stagefor field trips to historic sites or buildings, and each issuecontains section a called"Digging Deeper," wherethe editors recommend booksand films for furtherreading.