Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-12-04
HORACE GREELEY.
His Recent Illness and Death

New YORK, November 29.-Ihe
Tribune furnishes the following account
of the illness aud last hours Of Mr..
Greeley, 50 far as known TO any of his
associates
"Mr. Greeley was in almost as good
health as usual when. on the day after
election, he wrote a card announcing
his resumption of the editorial charge
of the Tribune, His sleeplcssness was
known to have become greatly worse.
but for years he had suffered more or
less from the same difficulty, ard, as is
now clear, a sufficient allowance had
not been made for the intense strain
upon him throughout the summer, es-
pecially during the last month of his
wife's illness but it soon became evil
dent that his strength was Unequal to
the hard task to which he set himself
He wrote only three or four careful
articles, no one Of them half a column
in length. Tie most notable, perhaps,
was that entitled Conclusions, wherein
he summed up his views of the canvass.
To all he wrote less than three and
half columns after his return, contribut-
ing to only four issues of the paper
Two or three times he handed his assis-
tant short articles, saying, There is an
idea worth using, but | haven't felt
able to work it out properly. You had
better put it in shape At last, on
Tuesday, the 18th instant, he abandon
ed the effort to visit the Office, and sent
for the family physician of Mr.. A. j.
johnson, the friend with whom he was
a guest, i'll whose house his wife had
died. Every effort was made to induce
sleep but he rev steadily worse until
it became evident that his cas- was crit
cal. DR.. George c. Choate and others
were called in consultation, and finally
it was decided to take him to DIR.
Choate's residence, two or three miles
distant from Mr.. Greeley's own country
house at Chappaqua Here he receiv
ed unremitting attention from DR..
Choate, and here Drs. Brown and Sc
Guard and others were called in consul
tation. The insomnia had developed in
to Inflammation OF the brain, and under
this the venerated patient rapidly sank.
At times he was deirious at other
times as clcar-headed as ever. He lost
flesh and strength with startling rapid
ty, and in a few days the possibility of
his speedy death forced itself into un-
willing recognition. 1t was not, how
ever, until Thursday that his associates
and family brought themselves to admit
it, and even they still chung to his faith
in the vigor OF his constitution. On
Wednesday night, he failed very rapid.
ly. Thursday afternoon and evening
he seemed somewhat easier. During
the night he slept very uneasy, nut
tering occasionally, and frequently rails
ing his right hand Toward morning
he was more unquler, and between s
and 9 fell into nearly unconscious con
dition, which continued, with some in
tervas, throughout the day. He made
occasional eXclammations, but many of
them, in consequence Of his extreme
weakness and apparent inability to fin
ish what he began, were unintelIigible
"About noon, however, he said quite
distinctly, and with some force, 4 know
that my Redeemer liveth.' During the
day he recognized various people, his
daughter many times, the members of
his household at Chappaqua Mr.. John
Stuart, and Mr.. Reid On the whole,
he suffered little seemed to have no
more than the ordinary restlessness
hich accompanies the last stage of the
disease. During the day his extremlt
les were cold, and there was no
pulse at the wrist. The action Of the
heart was very intermittent and con-
stantly diminishing in force. He had
not asked for water or been willing to
drink since his stay at DR.. Choate's but
during Friday he asked for it frequent
ly, and up to within half an hour Of the
end he manifested in various ways his
consciousness Of what W as going on
around him and even answered in mono
syllabIes, and intelligently questions
addressed to him.
"About half-past 3 he said, very dis
tinctly, 1t is DONE and, beyond the
briefest answers to questions, this was
his last utterance His youngest
daughter, Miss Gabrielle, was with him
through Thursday evening. Through
out Friday the elder daughter, Miss
Ida, was in constant attendance, as she
had been during the whole of his illness
and of Mrs. Greeley's before him. The
other members of his Chappaqua house
hold were present, with Mr. and Mrs.
John r. Stuart and a few other friends.
Nothing that science or affection could
suggest was wanting to ease the last
hours. The wintry night had fairly
set in when the inevitable hour came.
Without, the sleighs were running 20
and fro, bearing to Chappaqua, the
nearest telegraph station, the latest
bulletins which the thousands of anxi-
Gus hearts in the great city near by
kept demanding. Within, the daught-
er and few others stood near the dy-
ing man, who remained conscious, and
seemingly rational and free from pain
though now too weak to speak. In an
adjoining room sat one or two more
friends and the physician. At ten min
utes before 7 o'clock they drew back
in reverent stiffness from the bedside
The great editor was gone in peace after
so many struggles and after so much
obloquy,"