The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1866-06-29
GENERAL LEWIS CASS.
Incidents of his last Illness---His Ser.
wees to his Country.
From the Detroit Tribune, June IS.

was, to all appearances, hale and hearty,
and not unfrequeully nigh. have been
seen enjoying AL early morning or evening
walk. A short time subsequent to The
above date his health began to fail, and II
failed very rapidly since the cold weather
set in last fall. During the month o!
January be was very i'll, and at one tins
il was though. that he would not live to
zee the end of the month.
At timas his mind was slightly affected,
owing to the very painful nature of his
disease, but these occurrences were rare
As general thing, he retained his mental
faculties until death relieved him OF bis
suherings. About ha,f an hour before he
died he spoke, but manifested an aversion
to being troubled by any one. lie ire
quently referred to his past life, and would
occasionally lsIate anecdotes to DR.. Far
rand, of whom ne appeared to be particu-
larly fond. Having been informed of the
invasion Of Canada by the Fenians, he,
upon several occaaions, expressed bis
unqualified disspproval Of the movement,
and characterized it as absurd, unwise,
and calculated TO do more mischief than
GOOD.
The last conversation Of any moment
that the dying statesmen had with his
relatives or friends was on "Wednesday
evening last, at which time he appeared
to be fully himself, and recognized those
who surrounded his bedside. lie talked
quite freely with them.
During his illness he was attended BY
DR.. Una Pitcher and Or. d. o. Farrand,
the latter having remained by bis bedside
almost constantly for several months past
His disease was not softenlng OF the
BRAIN" as was reported at that time, but
disease consequent upon old age.
About 9 o'clock on Saturday night it
was quite apparent that dissolution would
take place At abeu. 10 minutes before
4 o'clock on Sunday morning marked
change occurred, and eight minutes later
the soul of the statesman had passed into
the presence of its Maker. When the
bells of the city struck 4 o'clock, the
pulse had ceased to beat, and all was over.
There were present at the bedside when
General Cass expired, lis daughters, Mrs.
Garfield and Madam Won Limburg, and
Nr. George S. Frost, Mr.. William Foxen
and DR.. d. O. Farrand.
General Cass' wife died in March, 1855,
and left four children, all of whom are
now living. They are Maj Lewis Cass ;
Mrs Ledy ard, wife Of Henry Ledyard,
Esq, formerly mayor Of this city; Madam
Won Limburg, wife Of the resident minis
ter of the Netherlands; and Mrs. Garfield,
widow Of Capt. Caniield, formerly of the
United States Typographical engineers.
He was born at Exeter, N. IL, October
9, 1882, Of parents who traced their ger
ealogy back to the original colony OF
Massachusetts pilgrims His father,
jonathan Cass, being public man and in
good circumstances, Lewis commenced
an academic career at Exeter when he was
ten years of age, and continued it unln-
terruptedlv until 1899. At this ;ime his
fa,he, emf grated to Delaware and in the
following year to Ohio, where at Marietta,
young Cass was admitted to the bar in
1902, being then only twenty years OF
age. Shortly after this he removed to
GAINESVILLE, where in 1906, he took TO
himself wife. This manly act of the
young barrister so far won for him the
respect of his fellow citizens that he was
almost Immediately chosen to the Ohio
Legislature, and his public career was
begun.
This career was auspiciousy opened by
an event connected with the Burr Con
spiracy, then hleatening the welfare of
our young republic. Burr and Blenner-
hassett had certain boats, munitions, &c,
collected at Blennerbassett's Island, in the
Ohio, and the question Of selling these
were referred to a committee OF which
Mr.. Cass was member. Cass himself
drafted bill authorizing this seizure the
bill was passed and carried into execution.
Mr.. Cass afterwards drew up legislativ e
address to Congress, pledglng the fidelity
of Ohio to the national government. This
address was so welcome at Washington
that its author was rewarded by an ap-
pointment as United States Marshal for
Ohio.
In 1911 IL, the popular excitement
which eliminated in war with Great
Britain caused the raising of three volun-
teer regiments Of infantry in Ohio, and OF
one of these Cass was elected Colonel.
He was sent to Detroit under General
Hull, of not very illustrious memory, and
it was under Cass that the first engage
ment of the war was fought and the first
blood shed. Hull soon after ingloriously
surrendered, and COL Cass was among the
prisoners. So indignant was Cass a. the
detection of his superior, that on returning
from an expedition, on which he was at
the time of the surrender, be broke his
sword in shame and modification. Being
paroled as a prisoner of war, Col. Cass
did not resume military life until 1913,
when he was exchanged, and received the
of colonel, and afterwards
brigadier general in the regular army.
In the same year, however, having been
appointed Governor Of Michigan territory,
by President Madison, be threw up his
commission in the army, and that as U. S.
Marshal. Mr. Cass renamed Governor
of Michigan for the very long term of
eighteen years, or until 1881, when
President Jackson made him Secretary of
War. 1t was while acting in his double
capacity Of territorial governor, aud super
intendent Of Indian affairs for the North
west that Gov. Cass visited various points
IN Wisconsin, among them Prairie du
Chen (lS25,) Fond du Lac Is26) and
Green Bay 0e27) A: each Of these