Mower County transcript., 1869-09-16
DEATH OF SECRETARY RAWLINS.

DEATH OF SECRETARY RAWLINS.
Scenes at his Death-Bed.
WASHINGTON, Sept. Cat o'clock this
morning Secretary Rawlins was in tolcr-
ably comfortable condition. He spoke to
General John Il. Smith and Commissioner
Parker with his customary earnestness on
various subjects, and inquired whether
| thoy thought he would recover his health
| and cgain rise from his bed To this ques.
ton General Smith said he feared not, and
asked whether he had any wish to oxprcss
mains in case he should die Ho replied
that no would leave that with his friends,
but he did not desire to have an ostenta-
tious or expensive funeral.
! During the afternoon Secretaries Cox and
Robson camo into his chamber, when the
former read him the following telegram:
CONCORD, Mass, Sept. 6.
IT Gen. Rawlns is living, convoy to him
| the assurance Of my respect and Affection
| and Of tho sorrow with which Ilearn the con.
dition of man so upright, able and faithful
God bless and keop him. ,,
| Secretary Rawlins said, with deep emotion:
! II am very grateful to tho Attorney General
! fOr his love- and I wish you to saw so to him. y
At about three o'clock DR.. Peterson was
left in charge, DR.. Bliss and Surgeon Gene
raj Barnes having been obliged by other
duties to leave for short time. DR.. Peter
son, at few minutes to four o'clock, OBJ
served a marked change in the condition of
the patient, whose pulse had become very
irregular, and he remarked to Gen. Giles
4. Smith that he was sinking very fast, and
had but few minutes to live, and request.
ed him to send for Surgeon General Barnes
About this time there was read to him Il
telegram from Lieutenant-G General Sheri-
dan, addressed to General Sherman, dated
Chicago, Sept. 6, as follows:
| ''Wlll you please give my love TO Rawiins.
All the officers here send their love to him. :"
| With scarcely breath to speak, he said
"Gen. Sheridan is very kind; I appreciate
and am grateful for his kindrcss. 1fthe love
ct my friends could do it, would soon be a
| healthy man."
About five minutes past four he asked
some one to raise him. DR.. Bliss, who had
returned, adjusted the pillows under his
back, while DR.. Peterson held him up.
His eyes became fixed, and without struQ-
gle he died at twelve minutes past four
o'clock. -.
There were present Secretaries Cox and
Robson, Postmaster General Cresswell,
Gen. Giles A. Smith, Gen. J. E. Smith,
Commissioner Parker, James Rawlins.
brother of the deceased, Gen. O. o. How
ard, Mr.. Chadwick, Surgeon General
Barnes, DR.. Bliss, DR.. Peterson and the
servants in attendance. During the day
the late Secretary often expressed strong
desire to see President Grant, asking.
t:When will he come 2" but was fearful he
| would not live long enough to do 80. Yes
terday afternoon, while Secretaries Robeson
and Cox and Postmaster General Creswell
were sitting at his side, tho first-named re-
marked, Gen. Rawlins, I am very sorry to
see you SO sick, to which the General re-
piled, ''Mr. Secretary, SO far as am per-
sonally concerned as o member of the Cab
met, have met with it for the last time
You will never see me there again" The
company were deeply affected, but made
no reply. Soon after the death of Secre-
tary Rawlins, his body was embalmed and
dressed in the uniform of Major General.
Col: Dayton, chief Of Gen. Sherman's staff,
and Capt. Johnson, of the Medical Depart
ment, tonight SIT up with the corpse.
President Grant, accompanied by Private
eSecretary PorteF arrived, al, Washington bv
special train from Baltimore at 6:i2,. and
| was met at the station by Gen. Sherman.
He at once proceeded to the residence OF
Gen. G. AZ Smith, where he learned that
Secretary Rawlins bad been dead an hour,
The President was much affected while
gazing upon the lifeless form of his friend,
and expressed deep regrot that owing to
the delivery Of kilograms at Saratoga
he was prevented from. sooner starting 70,
Washington. : : :.
I President Grant, on returning to the
executive mansion, transmitted, the follow
ing dispatch, namely:
Mrs. Mary E. Ra,o1ins, Danbury, Conn.,: ..'
Your beloved husband expired at twelve
minutes; A;ter four O'Clock this afternoon, tc
be mourned by family and friends who
loved him for his personal worth and services
TO his country, and nation who acknowledge
their debt Of gratitude to him. ~. ..r,; +,
On consultation with his friends it is dc.
termined that ho shall be buried in the Con.
1gressional burying ground, ss tho moata ap.
propriate place, unless you have other sug.
Gestions to mako The time of the funeral
is not arranged, hut, probably. will Lake, place
~ (SignedJ' 7'7'""H .' us. s.:dRxNr,
Col. Doug glas, assistant private secretary
to the President, has been, telegraphed to
return from Virginia, and is expected to:
morrow night. "'@
An informal Cabinet meeting was held
to- ght at the Executive Mansion, there
1 being present Secretaries Cox and Robegon
and Postmaster General Oresswell, with the
President and, for a short time, General
Sherman and other ARMY officers. The Oh.
| ject of the meeting was TO mature arrange.
ments for the funeral of the late Secretary
of War. 1t has been decided that the fu.
neral shall take place on Thursday morning
at ten o'clock. The remains are to be
escorted to the Congressional Cemetery,
| which has been deemed an appropriate
place for the burial. These arrangements
are, however, subject to any modification
the widow of the late Secretary may sue.
gest, or. perhaps, to such action rs may be
taken by his own state Qlinois), the fol.
lowing kilograms having been forwarded to
GOV. Palmer by Gen, John Z. Smith:~'2
WAsuMGToN, Sept 6-500P. M.,-Gen.
Rawlins died at 4:12 this afternoon. Has
Illinois any wish to express with regard to
row forenoon the military take charge ol
the body; when it will be removed to. the
1 War Department to- lie in state, catafal.
que being in course of erection for that
| purpose. It will be guarded tby.a detach-
| hient Of cavalry and artillery: The fuher.
al escort is to.be under command of Col,
Barry, U. S. A. Tomorrow the public de.
| partments will be closed in accordance
with an order issued by the Department o1
State.
| Discoveries In Rome.
An undertaking highly interesting to
archaeologists is about to be commenced
with the sanction of His Holiness, being
the clearance of the ancient monumental
facade of the Marcian Aqueduct from the
medieval Notifications and superstructures
of the Porta San Lorenzo.
The present Pope's predecessor. Gregory
Porta Maggiorie, which resulted in the ns e: ex:
! trication OF the magnificent facade and in
scriptions Of the Claudian Aqueduct from
rude towers and buttresses hastily thrown
| up in remote and troublous times, and the
rax.ola4;o,a Of ixa&oEoa4i,,cr