The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-07-27

| rue. lie complained OF q sore throat,
and Lad evidently taken cold the day
before. In TIE afternoon the weather
cleared up, and he went out on the
grounds between the house and The river
to mark some trees which were to be cut
down. A hoarseness which had hung
about him through the day grew worse
toward night, but he made light of it.
He was very cheerful in the evening as
he sat in the parlor with Mrs. Washing
ton and Mr.. Lear, amusing himself with
the papers which had been brought from
the post office. When he met with ANY,
thing interesting or entertaining, he would
read it aloud as well as his hoarsness
would permit, or he listened and made
occasional comments while Mr. Lear read
the debate Of the Virginia Assembly.
On retiring to bed, Mr.. Lear suggest
ed that he Should take something to re-
lieve his cold. mo, replied he, "you
know | never take anything Cor cold
Let it 90 as it came"
In the night he was extremity i'll with
ague and difficult Of breathing. Between
two and three o'clock in the morning he
awoke Mrs. Washington, who would have
risen to call servant, but he would not
permit her lest she should take cold
At day-break, when the servant, entered
to make fire, she was sent to call Mr..
Lear. He found him breathing with diff
Guilty, and hardly able to utter word
intclIigibly. Washington desired that
Dir. Craik, who lived in Alexandria,
should he sent for, and that in the mean
time Rawlins, one of the oyerscers, should
be summoned, to bleed him before the
doctor could arrive.
A gurgle was prepared for Lis throat
but whenever he attempted to swallow
any Of it, he was convulsed and almost
suifocated. Rawlins made his appear
ance soon after sunrise, but when the
Generals arm was ready for the opera
ton, became agitatcd. "Don't be afraid
said the General as we'll as he could
speak. Rawlins made al inclusion. "The
oriice is not large enough" said Wash
ington.
The blood, however, ran pretty freely,
and Mrs. Washington, uncertain whether
the treatment was proper, and fearful that
too much blood might be taken, begged
Mr. Lear to stop it. When he vas
about to unite the string, the General put
up his hand to prevent him, aud as soon
as he could speak murlnured, ''more,
more;n but Mrs. Washington'S doubts
prevailed, and the bleeding was stopped,
after about half pint of blood had been
taken. External applications were now
made to the throat, and his feet were
bathed in warm water, but without afford
Ing any relief. S4A'-tysI
His old friend, DR.. Craik, arrived be-
tween eight and nine, and two other
pl ysicians, Drs. Dick and Brown, were
called in. Various remedies were tried,
and additional bleeding, but all of no
avail. @ 44
about half past four o'elock," writes
Mr.. Lear, ''he desired me to call Mrs.
Washington to his bedside, when he re-
quested her to 90 down into his room and
take from his desk two wills which she
would find there, and bring them to him,
which she did. Upon looking at them he
oaye her one, which he observed was
useless, rs being superseded by tue other,
and desired her to burn it, which she did
and took the other and put it into hei
closet.
"After this was done, / returned tC
his bedside and took his hand. He sale
to me: Il fiud [ am going, my breath can
not last long. l believed from the frs
that the disorder would prove fatal. Do
you arrange all my military letters an(
papers. Arrange my accounts and set
tie my books, as you know more abou
them than any one else; and let Mr.. Raw
Inns finish recording my other letters whiel
he has begun told him this would b.
done. He then asked me if reccollect
ANYTHING which it was essential for hin
to do, as he had very short time t
continue with us. | told him that | coulC
recollect nothing; but that | hoped h
was not SO near his end. He observed
smiling, that he certainly was, and that j
was the debt which we must all pay; b
looked to the debt with perfect resigna
ton"
In the course Of the afternoon he ap
peard to be in great pain and distres
from the difficulty of breathing, and fre
ouently changed bis posture in bed. MI
Lear endeavored to raise him and tur