Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-06


toms medical adviser and friend in furnishing authcn
tic account of the nature and progress OF the painful maa
dy which terminated that eminent statesman life,
we'll impressive incidents Of hi. last hnar will
possess deep interest not alone for the wide circle Of his
immediate friends, but for the public at large We iee
obliged TO Mr. Jones for enabling us 10 lay the letter be-
fore our readers.
wAsHISGroS, April 18th 1858.
Nv Dear Sir: You were present at my
morning visit to Col. Benton, on the day pre-
eeiing his death, when be handed me al ex-
tract from newspaper purpOrting to give an
account of his disease, and, as you are aware,
he then earnestly requested ne to draw up " a
abatement of his case for the satisfaction of his
friends in Missouri" | promised him faithful
ly to do so, and in compliance with that pledge
I now send you the following briet statement
o! bis last illness
The disease Of which Col. Benton died was
Gamer Of the RGtHm. In the affection itself
there was nothing peculiar, as it is complaint
not uncommon TO an advanced period OF life.
But the extraordinary fortitnde with which he
met and contended to the last with this fOrmid
able malady the wonderful mental vigor
which he retained whilst it was prcyng upon
his vitals the indomitable energy of charac-
ter he displayed, and the unceaSing labor which
no daily underwent, almost to the last moment
Of his existence, when considered IN connection
with the position he has 50 long held to his
country, have rendered his case one Of deep in
tereSt.
Although | had occasionally visited Col!
Benton for more than three years prior to his
disease, it was not until the month of Septen-
ber, 1851 that my attention was especially
called to the disease of which he died.
In the month of February, 1856, perform
ed him an operation for hydr0cele, "a common
complaint and one relieved by very simple
operation and to which he alluded when you
were standing by his bedside, the day before
his death, when he remarked that he had been
also treated by me for disease similar to that
Which had afflicted the historian GibbOn, aud
which he requested me to note in my report Of
his case
From this time until the summer Of 1851 he
vag frequently absent froRl Washington deliv
ering his lectures in different cities
In the intervals of his return he occasional
ly.consulted me iu regard to simply an ir-
regular condition of his bowels but he COM
planned so little, and his general-h health was so
nndisturbed, that it was impossible to have
suspected even the incipent stage Of the in
curable maIady which was to destroy him. 1t
was not until the month of SPptember, 1857
that my attention was especially called TO his
case He then sent for me to see him for
what he supposed was severe attack Of collie.
His bowels were obstinatey Constipated, and
all medicine failed to remove the obstruction. -
On examining the intestine | discovered it to
he closed by hard tumor, about three Or four
inches above its termination. The abdominal
distensiOn was at this time very great, and his
suffering must have been extreme, but his ma
ture was so accomplishing, il fact there was
so much of the Roman in his mould that he
gave but little evidence Of the pangs he endur-
el.
My friend Dr. Hall, saw him IN consultation
with inc al that time, aud after repeated and
tedious efforts we finally succeeded in passing
a slender tube through the obstruction, and
thus gave gave exit to the enormous accunu-
laton of gas aud other matter within the ab
domen 4 more careful examination, made
very soon after this, confirmed me in the view
we then took Of his case and of its hopeless
nature and | communicated that opinion to
himself aud to his friends. He received it
with perfect calmness and resignation, express
ing only the wish that he might be allowed to
live long enough to finish his work.
Before he was relieved of the attack Just
spoken Of he had given up all hope of life
He told me he was satisfied the hour of dis
solution was near at hand, that it was impo>s-
for him torecover, and that his only regrets at
parting with the world were "n separating
from his children, and in leaving his great
work undone that death had no terrors for
him, for he had thought on the subject too
long to feel any" 1t may not be inappropri-
ate tor me here to state that, although he ney
OF expressed to me any views upon the subject
Of religion, he did so freely after this to the
Rev. Dr. Sunderland, his pastor and friend, as
the following statement Of DR. Sunderland will
show. He says: Daring the last week Of
Col Benton's life had several interviews with
him at his own request. Oar conversation was
mainly on the subject Of religion and in re-
gard 10 his own views and exercises in the
speedy prospect of death In these conyersa
tons he most emphaticaly and distinctly re-
nounccd all selfrcliance, and cast himself en-
tirev on the mediation Of tie Lord Jesus
Christ as the ground with his acceptance with
God. His own words were Coils mercy in
Jesus Christ is my sole reliance"
| aScertained that in the intervals OF my
visits to him at this time he repeatedly went
TO his work aud corrected the prO0f-SheetS,
which he was in the habit Of receiving at short
periods from his publisher Mr. Appleton, and
! recolIect on oac occasion, when Ibid not sup
pose he could stand, hc suddenly arose from
his bed, and in face of all remonstranre. walk
walked to bis table ut some distance off and
corrected and finished the conclusion of another
work on which he was engaged. and of which
he had shortly before received the proofs from
New York. His unconquerable viii enabled
him 10 DO it, but when done he was so exhaust
cd had to take the pen from his hand to
give II the direction
a. soon as he recovered from the immtdi-
ate danger of his attack he laLored as he had
.'91S for years befur@ constantly at h.g task
-. ~ da, light, tud writing incfA,snt,v