Daily national Democrat., 1858-09-16
Melancholy Neyyss


late duel with Hon. Geo. Pen Johnston
Truly, 20 bright star has fallen from its orbit,
and proud spirit sunk from its sphere"
We give from the Sacramento papers all
the particulars of this most sad occurrence.
A telegraphic dispatch to the Union, dated
San Francisco, Sept. l4th, says;
During the last few days. W. l. Ferguson
declined so materially that his medical advis
ers resolved to come to final conclusion as
to what course they would pursue, and this
afternoon, Drs. Angle and Sawyer called in
three other physicians, when it was agreed
to examine the bone. Chlorotorm was ad
ministered, and large incision made. The
leg was found broken to pieces for space of
som. three inches where struck by the ball,
and modification reached nearly to the knee
Joint. II was ut once perceived that the only
means of safety consisted in the amputation,
for before this there was hope that the
bone had been chipped and broken, but not
completely shattered. Mr. Ferguson re-
vived, and being informed of the state of the
wound, consented to have his leg taken off );
thus reinquishing the a. one chance in hun
dred," which he at first determined to take,
rather than lose the limb, and hich showed
that he himself had lost the confidence which
sustained him hitherto, both mentally and
| physically.
He was again placed under the influence
of chloroform, and the leg was taken off by
DR.. Sawyer, Very little blood was lost, and
stimulants were given to produce reaction,
but the patient continued to sink and then
failed to swallow anything. His breathing
became less apparent, and in half an hour
after the operation, it being few minutes
before o'clock, he expired without strug-
gle, and probably insensble A large num-
Der of pieces of hone were taken from the
wound besides two or more pieces of the ball,
showing that it had split in three pieces
The bone was also found cracked upwards
to the socket.
send you the above as obtained from one
of three gentlemen, besides the doctors, who
were present at the time in lien of written
statement, which the physicians are prepar-
ing but will not have ready in time to be
telegraphed. The body will probably be
sent to Sacramento tomorrow afternoon, as
per request from above. Gen. Estill informs
me that Ferguson, yesterday, anticipated
death in the event of amputation, and in.
formed him that in case his Sacramento
| friends asked for his body, he wanted it Civ
en- to them, that he might be buried in the
county which had honored him with a seat
in the Senate. Communication has been had
with some of your citizens, who are to send
q committee down by the boat tomorrow
A number of friends in this city will, to-
morrow afternoon, escort the body from the
Union Hotel to the boat, and a committee
having it in charge will proceed up the river
until the two boats meet, when the commit
tee from Sacramento will come aboard and
take possession of the corpse.
Under the head News in the Morning"
the Union says:
We would mention that ex.Mayor Dyer,
of a committee Of the late friends of the de-
ceased, received dispatch last evening from
San Francisco to the effect that delegation
| from that city would convey the body to
Bencia this afternoon, and deliver it to n
committee from this city. The respective
steamers will wait at Bencia accordingly
Tho Union, in commenting on the unfor.
tunate affair, says:
Thus has fallen another victim to the bar
barous dueing CODE The distance at which
the duel was fought was so unusual as to
give it a murderous character
William |. Ferguson was young man en-
dowed with talents sufficient to give him a
leading position i'll any community, but it
will be admitted that he did not always
make the best use of Natures gifts. He will
be remembered for his devotion to his friends.
for his generous traits of character, when any
faults and failings which may have been his
are forgotten.
The Sacramento Mercury, of yesterday,
comes appropriately clad in mourning for
the death of distinguished Democratic Sen.
ator of Sacramento county, and, among 9TH
er well-timed remarks, has the following:
Socially there was not better fellow in
the world than he-always in good humor; ;
high-minded and honorable in his intercourse
with his friends; he had as many warm and
devotedly attached friends as any one who
has ever lived in our community and no
one has ever met similar fate who has left
behind him a larger number of warm and
true friends to lament his loss.
As a lawyer, we know if he had devoted
himself to the pursuit of his profession, no
man in the State would have excelled him.
With quick and perceptive mind thor
ough knowledge of the science of the law /;
a complete knowledge of human nature and
the common. every day transactions of life !;
fine speaker, and a man of untring energy
and industry, he must have made a shining
light in his profession.
1t is to be deeply regretted that SO brilliant
man could not have been preserved to his
country. The lapse of years would have
doubtless corrected many of his faults, and
experience would have matured and mel.
lowed the rich powers of his intellect. The
mediation of mutual friends might have pre-.
vented, in the first instance, we suppose, the
fatal meeting BE that as it may, it is too
late now to talk of what might, or ought to
have been done AS for us, while we grieve
for the loss CT so fine an intellect to the State.
and so prominent and efficient leader of the
Democratic Party, and while we weep over
the grave Of genius, our heart more deeplv
bleeds for one, far away from this scene Of
mourning, whose tears will fall, like rain,
at this sad news, but not upon the new.made
sod that covers the dead. Hon shall the
melancholy story be brok en- to that aged moth.
er, in the distant State Of Illinois Who
can indte the line or the word that shall
bend to the earth, as if stricken bv storm,
that gray and venerable head? o, thou ac.
cursed spirit of wounded pride or vanity.
how little do we realize how utterly evil
thou art, until we behold desolation like
this
Things at Salt Lake.
A special correspondent of the Alta. wri.
ting from Salt Lake, August 30th. oives tbo