and he was writing his memoirs that entire last yeardr_boogs said:
He had a terrible last year or so physically - throat cancer - presumably from all the cigar smoking. Intense pain when swallowing. Difficulty breathing. Inability to eat solids or drink liquids at the end.
A terrible way to have to pass in the present, imagine how terrible it would have been in that period of time.
he finished a few days before he died
Grant's memoirs (I have two copies) became the highest selling book in US history up that time (except maybe the bible)