The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1866-06-07

The Dying Hours of Sen. Scott.
West Point Correspondence of The New York
lInrall

Thc DytnE HOURS Oh ScE. scout.
West Point Correspondence of tho New York
Herald.
Lieut.. Gen. Winfield Scott died at this
house to>day, at five minutes past IL o.
clock. He departed peacefully. No
struggle indicated the passage Of the old
heros soul from its earthly tenement. AL
though bis demise was anticipated, yet his
death was comparatively sudden. Upon
his arrival here on the evening of the 10th
inst, by special boat from New York. it
was observed that he was very feeble. Up
on descending from the carriage he tottcr-
ed little, aud had to pause upon every
step AS he mounted to the hotel. After q
few days, however, he rallied considerably
and as late as Saturday, at half-past = o.
clock, was out to the library and the village
riding. The same day he wrote some let
ters TO friends; but, few days before, he
requested Gen. Ca,lurn, commandant of
the post, to indite letter for him, which
he franked himself, though in an almost
illegibls hand.
He appeared to suffer from no specific
ailment, but rather \ general decline of
physical strength. His mind was clear to
the last. So little expectation was there
of ms immediate demise that his daughter,
Mrs. Hoyt, of New York, who had beer
staying with him for some days, left here
f0r home yesterday. Last night the gen.
eral was taken with :. chill, and the assist
ant surgeon of the post, DR.. Marsh, was
Immediately summoned. Even then there
appeared to be no apprehension of imme-
date dissolution; but in short time it
became evident that the evcntful and use
ful life of the patriot soldier was drawing
20 Z close.
The Chaplain Rev. J. a. French, was
called in and taking the generals hand
recitcd a prayer. Though quite conscious
and coguizant that death was upon him
the power OF speech was gone, but the dy-
ing soldier pressed the hand of the clergy
man and bowed his head repeatedly in
token Of his consciousness Of the last sol-
emn rites which Mr.. French was perform
ing according to the rules of the Episcopal
church.
At precisely five minutes after |. quiet
ly as if in slup.ber, the patriot whose life
has been so intimately associated with the
military history of. his country passed
away.
There were present with him at the last
moment Gen. c. ". Callum, commandant
of West Point, and for many years aid to
Gen. Scott; Surgeon Head, Asst. Surgeon
Marsh, Chaplain French, and the generals
faithful body servant. Gen. Callum i'm
mediately :elegrapned to Mrs. Hoyt, who
arrived here 1T D o'clock this afternoon.
At the desire of the deceased generals
daughter, Mrs. Hoyt-and 1t is thought
the old hero himself had the same wish
the remains will be inferred in the West
Point cemetery.
Gen. Scott had only been confined to
bed for the last three days, but during that
time his strength was gradually failing
and ne seemed to have presentiment that
this was his last visit to West Point, in
which institution he took an intense inter
est and at which he spent every summer
for the last 40 years. When coming from
the boat on the 10th of May he remarked
to friend that he had come to the old
academy to die, and, IN conversation with
Capt. Stanton, few days ago, ne replied
to some remark concerning his visit to
West Point that he came there to be-
buried. 1t seems appropriate that the
great military academy of tho nation
should be the dying place of tho nations
oldest soldier.
THE LAST WORDS OF GEN. SCOTT
arc worth remembering. About % min
utes before his death lie addressed his
hostler, saying: James, how IS the
horse ?" Z" He is well, general" Take
care of him, James" said the dying hero,
and these were the last intelligible words
he uttered. In less than half an hour, all
was over, and General Scott had become
immortal.