Work progresses slowly but smoothly on Tim and I's book, and there also might be an article in the near future about decisions made during the Chattanooga Campaign. I wanted to untangle some of the most significant controversies that developed following the campaign and how best to address them. It looks at the sources and what should be considered the most reliable. Nevertheless, with the academic year beginning, I plan on incorporating some of the material I worked on into my lesson plans. The most exciting development in recent days is the start of the college football season. I will closely be following Liberty University. Let's hope for another undefeated regular season to get into the NCAA playoffs. I am about to finish Bret Baier's To Rescue a Republic. Therefore, I was inspired to write about the ongoing isolation of Ulysses Grant.
When General David Petreaus often discusses Grant's military career, he explains that it is lonely at the top of the chain of command. General Petreaus certainly understood this during his deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. However, this was largely true as Grant served as president of the United States. This reality became more accurate as the election of 1876 began in contention, with Samuel Tilden running as a Democrat while Rutherford B. Hayes ran on the Republican ticket. Grant's Reconstruction policies were largely unpopular among southern whites, with ongoing problems with state elections. When state and local elections were held in places like South Carolina and Louisiana, the vote was contested. Grant ordered the military to enter those states to keep the peace. When the presidential election took place in 1876, the vote was undecided, and claims of voter fraud arose in states like Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana.
As votes were counted, Hayes would ultimately win should he come on top in South Carolina. However, there was uncertainty as Democrats saw the writing on the wall and began to filibuster and drown out the house speaker, attempting to keep order as they counted the votes. Grant stayed back, opting to remain neutral during this period. Yet, he was unsure if rebellion would break out or if violence would erupt as the Democrats and Republicans vehemently disagreed. Therefore, Grant helped broker a deal that would officially end Reconstruction policies and acknowledge Wade Hampton winning the governorship of South Carolina. Democrats stopped filibustering and protesting the vote count, and in return, Rutherford B. Hayes took the presidency.
Grant would finally leave the White House in several days and return to civilian life. General Christopher Augur spent one evening with the lame-duck president smoking cigars. He asked Grant if he was sad to be leaving the presidency. Grant responded that it was the saddest hour of his life, not because Grant was leaving the presidency, but because he realized he did not know where to go. Of course, this was outside of his family; instead, it was to find a man to be his confidential secretary with whom he could place his trust.
Grant lost many friends over his tenure in office. In fact, most abandoned him. Orville Babcock, a good friend of Grant, betrayed him by participating in a scandal that too often plagued Grant's presidency. Even Grant's best friend, William Sherman, had a falling out over some of Grant's policies. John Rawlins, an aide of Grant's during the war, came to serve in the Grant Presidency; he died of Tuberculosis in 1869. Ely Parker was with Grant at Vicksburg and later was appointed Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Grant and Parker made significant inroads in settling the conflict with Native tribes. However, Parker was accused of corruption and dismissed from his post. Even during the war, Grant made many more enemies, such as William "Baldy" Smith, for protecting Meade's record at Cold Harbor. Benjamin Butler could not forgive Grant for sacking him. Even countless times Grant defended Meade from the media, Meade could never forgive being outshined under Grant's presence. George Thomas was equally maligned as disputes erupted between the two during the war as Thomas was not regularly corresponding with Grant as John Bell Hood's army marched through Tennessee. While both men are clearly at fault for the matter, Grant clearly did not trust Thomas but Thomas did little to reassure Grant’s nerves, it only drove a wedge between the two great generals.
The few friends Grant had left following his presidency were pushed aside by Grant's own admission. Grant lost his friendship with Winfield Scott Hancock after speaking out against him when Hancock ran as a Democrat in the 1880 election. By 1880, Grant had few friends. One of them was James Wilson. Yet, even in death, Grant pushed Wilson away after speaking little about John Rawlins in his memoirs. When Grant was dying of throat cancer, only a few friends came to see him. Simon Bolivar Buckner, who surrendered to Grant at Fort Donelson, came to see the sickly conqueror. Another Union veteran arrived near Grant's home to give his service and make sure news reporters stayed away from the property. Grant also managed to lose a close friend while suffering from this terrible disease. Adam Badeau was not too fond of Grant writing his memoirs due to his three-volume series on Grant's military campaigns. Therefore, the two fell out and stopped talking right before Grant's death. Grant's popularity and fame came from respect and love for him not known in the United States since the days of George Washington. In that same vein, Grant lost about every close friend. When William Sherman stood outside Grant's first tomb in 1885 and wept uncontrollably, it may have dawned on him that Grant was alone, whether by his own doing or outside forces. Sherman was not there to comfort the dying general.
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