, 1875-06-12
Death OF Gen. Breckinridge.

| NSAClaA 0pAn OADtll hreCklnrluSe, VIC
born near Lexington, Kentucky, January u
1871. Tie was educated at Centre college
DanvlIle, Mercer county, in that State
studied law at the Transylvania institute
and entered on the practice of his profession
IN Lexington. At the breaking out Of tn
war with Mexico, he was elected Major 0
the Third regiment of Kentucky volunteers
but had little opportunity for active service
After the war he was elected to the house O
Representatives, Of Kentucky. In 1851 h
was reelected after a violent and protractet
contest During the first session of tn
Ihirty-third Congress, in the course of tn
discussion OF the Kansas Nebraska bill h,
was involved IL g personal alteration with
Mr.. t. Is. Cutting, member from New
York, leading TO the preliminaries of duel
which, however, did not take place Upor
the accession of President Pierce, he wa.
| offered the post minister Of Spain, but de-
| clined 1T. In 1856, he was elected Vice
President in conjunction with Mr.. Buchan-
nan as President. In 1860 part of the del
! egates IN the democratic national convention,
having separated from the supporters OF Hon
Stephen y. Douglas, held a convention at
the Maryland Institute in Baltimore and
A
and he received the electoral votes of all the
| Southern States, except Virginia, Kentucky,
Tennessee and Missouri In the same year
he was elected United States Senator from
his own State. After warmly advocating
and defending the cause Of the South in the
Senate, and after first visiting kentucky
went to Richmond, Va, the then capital Of
the Southern eonfederacy, where he entered
the army rose to the rank of Maior-Cfenergl
He was repulsed in an attack on Baton
Rouge, in 1861; commanded corps under
Bragg at Stone river in 1862, and at Chicka-
mauga In September, 1868, defeated Sigel at
Newmarket in May, 1874, took part in Ear
ly's advance on Washington In July of the
same year, and shared in his defeat near
Winchester IN the September following At
Cold HarbOr, when the confederate line was
broken by General Grant, General Breckin-
ridge placed himself at the head of the two
Maryland battalions and other troops, led
the assault upon the enemy and re-estab-
lished the confederate line. This was proba-
bly, the most brilliant military achievement
OF his lite. Shortly after this he was APP
pointed Secretary of War, and infused new
vigor into that department of the confederate
government, but too late. lie retreated
from the capital with the army and reached
General Johnston's army at Greensboro,
and endeaYored to arrange t5rms with Cen
eral Sherman for the surrender of that army
after the surrender of Lee, and when at the
headquarters of General Sherman he heard
the tidings of the death of President Lincoln,
which terminated the negotiations. General
Breckinridge proceeded to Chorlotte, n. c.,
where be performed the last act of his official
life, final discharge 20 all Marylanders in
the service of the confederacy, which was
marked with all that finished grace, feeling
and elOJuence which characterized the most
important of his official acts. He shortly
after went to Europe, and remained abroad
until about 1868, when he returned and re-
sumed the practice of law in Lexington,
bearing himself in manner 50 as to gain the
respect OF his late enemies. Rumors of his
i'll health have been prevalent for year and
more, but nothing definite was learned by the
public until few days ago, when the wires
brought the painful intelligence that the
DAYS of the great statesman and soldier were
numbered. The report stated that his pre-
carious health was caused by an old shell
wound, and that an operation for his relief
had been unsuccessful. The intelligence
vas received with great pain and sorrow
throughout the land, for men Of all parties
could not but fail to realize that the loss of
such d man from our midst Is a calamity to
be deplored. General Breckinridge will be
mOurned by thousands who have never come
under the charm of his presence, but TO his
old comrades and friends his memory will be
Of cherished value.
LEXINGTON, May 1S.-General John c.
Breckinriige died of abscess of the liver COM
bined with consumption. lis last hours
were quiet and peaceful On Sunday night
he was very restless, and sent during the
night for his regular physician who ad-
ministered an opiate to the sufferer, after
which he slept until late the next morning.
He was then visited by DR.. Louis A. Sayre,
of New York, who dressed the wound made
by the operation on Monday of last week.
The doctor, seeing that discharge was tax
ing place from the wound, expressed himself
hopeful OF tic patients rapid recovery, with
proper attention. After this the sufferer
took some nOurishment. At three 0 clock IN
the afternoon change for the worse was
perceptible, and his friends became alarmed
StinuIants were administered but without
effect
He sank rapidly until near five o'clock,
when he became speechless, and died at fif-
teen minutes to six o'clock. He was con-
scious apparently up to within q few minutes
of his death. There was no scene, no last
words. The only allusions he made to death
were once after the operation was performed
| on him last week by Drs. Sayre and Gross,
when he said he felt so comfortable, he be-
Iieyed that modification had set in, and
again, i'll his will made the next day, by
Hon. James B. Beck, in which he used these
words: "After all my debts, which are
few and small, and the expenses OF modest
funeral are paid, desire, etc" Around
the death bed Of the General were his wlie,
twp daughters and one son, and 4 few other
| Immediate relations.