Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-08-17
GEN. ROBERT PATTERSON.
THE VETERAN SOLDIER AND
HERO DEAD.
A PEACEFUL CLOSING OF A STIRRING LIFE
HIS CAREER IN THE FIELD AND
HABITS IN BUs1NEss-A
UNIQUE FIGURE, WITH
MANY QUAINT CHAR
ACTERIsTICs.

[From tie Philadelphia Times, August sth.l
General Robert Patterson, successful
as manufacturer, planter and soldier,
and for upwards Of half century
identified with the interests Of the city,
died at $50 last evening, at his resi-.
dence, Thirteenth and Locust streets.
About two weeks ago ho began COM
planning. He had long been suffering
from dropsical heart and Brights
disease. A week ago DIR. Agnew re-
lievod him of an attack of indigestion,
which was the trouble he felt the most,
and told him to keep quiet. HIS habit
ual energy led him out the day fellow
ing this advice, and he returned home
quite prostrated. He remained in.
doors all of last week, attended con-
stantly by DR.. Ii. Il. Goodman, some-
times walking about in fine spirits and
again lying PROSTATE, with all the
semblance of death. Last Monday
morning DR.. Goodman found him with
his pulse at eighteen and three times
during the week the heart.beats were
80 low as to be almost imporceptible.
One time the doctor AYERS his heart
stopped beating entirely and he told
the General he was about to die.
Thereupon the marvellous old man
made q great effort, as of man con.
centrating all his powers in one direc.
ton, and Immediately his heart started
up again and for awhile beat sixty.
Yesterday he was much better, SO
much so that his brother, Colonel Pat.
terson, who is twenty-five years bis
junior, and General Robert Il. Patter-
son, his son, and Others, who had been
sitting by his bedside for several nights,
thought 1t would be safe to leave him.
His daughters, Mrs. Snowden and Mrs.
Lynde, however, remained. A little
before halfpast eight he wanted to
make q necessary change in his posi-
tion. Following the rigid courtly
politeness so habitual to him, from
which he never varied even through
his illness, he requested those present
in the room to withdraw. In little
while his daughters re.entered and at
first supposed him TO be sleeping. They
called in DIR. Goodman, who found his
pulse had stopped and in a very few
moments the doctor was satisfied he
was dead. Notification was at once
sent 10 the absent relatives. Besides
General Robert Il. Patterson he has
another son living in Tennessee and q
third son is dead. The two daughters
who were with him when he died are
the only ones who survive. His third
daughter, Mrs. Abercrombie, is dead,
His wife, who was Miss Engle, died
about five years ago. For some time
prior to her demise she was afflicted
with blindness, and this, coupled with
her old age, rendered her almost help
less during her last years.
A USEFUL LIFE.
Robert Patterson was born in Ire
land, county Tyrone, 1892, and was
brought to this country in 1898 by his
father, Francis Patterson, who had
taken part in the Irish Rebellion of
that year. Upon his arrival in this
country the elder Patterson settled
upon a farm in Chester county, and
there young Robert spent the early
part Of his lie. After receiving a
sound English education tho young
man chose mercantile career and was
placed in the counting.house OF Ed
ward Thompson, prominent merchant
in this city at the beginning of the
present century. He was a studious,
attentive, energetic lad, and his pro.
eress in tho business was rapid and
satisfactory TO Mr.. Thompson and to
bis father. From o patriotic, high
spirited ancestry Patterson inherited a
fondness for military life and its duties
and when not engaged in the counting.
house read all the best military authors
and worked out their problems. This
being the bent Of his mind, when the
war broke out, in 1912, between the
United States and Great Britain, young
Patterson, not yet twenty-one years oi
age, applied for military service. He
was an Irishman; he knew his father
was an exile ho had listened to tales
of British wrong inflicted upon the
Irish people, and hence felt a special
call 10 tho contest that was opening.
His desire was granted. He WIS com
missioned second lieutenant OF infsn'
try in the regular army and was raised
to captaipcy in short time for cool
moss and bravery in action. He fought
upon the Canada line, where fresh
American troops, under Scott, Gaines