Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-11-19
GEN. GRANTS LAST DAYS.

GEN. GRANTS LAST DAYS.
From Gen. Adam Badeau's account
of The last days of Gen. Grant, in the
October century, we quote the follow
ing: "On Easter Sunday he seemed
q little easier, though there was
| still no hope. | went into his room
and found him able to listen and even
to utter few words without too much
effort. | had been greatly struck by
the universal watching of a nation, al
most world, at his bedside, and espe-
cially by the sympathy from former
rivals and political and even personal
! adversaries; and recounted to him in
stances of this magnanimous forgetful-
ness OF old-time enmities. When | told
him of the uttcrances of General Rose
| Grams and Jefferson Davis he replied:
| 4 am very glad to hear this. | would
| much rather have their goodwill than
their ill-will. / would rather have the
| goodwill of any man than his ill-will.
''On the 3D. of April several newspa-
| pers which had followed General Grant
with persistent animosity down to
the very beginning of his illness, re-
called in touching and even eloquent
words that twenty years before he had
captured Richmond on that day. /
told this 10 my chief, for had been
| with him on that other Sd of April. |
said the nation was looking on now,
watching his battle as it did then, and
| that his fight with disease was as good
a one as that he had made with the
rebels twenty years before 'Ah,' he
answered, twenty years ago / had
more to say. was in command then.
But even them | replied, it took
year to win; perhaps you may win
STILL He frightened up at this and
| told the physicians the story of Gen.
lngalls's dog ingalls, was the chief
| quartermaster of the armies operating
against Richmond, and had been 4
| classmate with General Grant at West
Point; they were always on intimate
terms. He had a peculiar dog that Of
ten came about the campfire at head
quarters. One day during the long
siege Gen. Grant said, ingalls,, do you
mean TO take that dog into RichmondP'
i think shall, said ingalls,; he be-
longs to long-liyed breed.
after this DIR. Shrady sat down to
write the bulletin for the morning.
What shall say, Generalp' he
asked. How shall | tell them you are
this morning.
More comfortable, replied the
| General.
''And the doctor wrote line about
the physical condition of the patient,
and read it to Gen. Grant, who approx
ed. | was still greatly impressed by
the public emotion, and | interrupted:
General, why not say something
about the sympathy of all the world,
something to thank the people?'
"'Yes, he exclaimed willingly, and
| dictated these words: Il am very much
touched and grateful for the sympathy
and interest manifested in me by my
friends. and by--those who have not
hitherto been regarded as friends.
| Towards the last he stammered and
hestated, evidently unwilling at this
moment to call any one an enemy, and
| finally made use of the circumlocution,
Those who have not hitherto been re-
| garded as friends.
''Dr. Shrady wrote out the bulletin,
and read it aloud, when the General
added: Il desire the goodwill of all,
whether heretofore friends or not.
81 urged the doctor to stop just
there, to say nothing about physical
details, but to give this Laster message
from General Grant to the world in his
own language. Mrs. Grant, however,
wished the word prayerfuP to be used
before sympathy, and Gen. Grant con-
sented to the change.
Another morning, only q day or
two after his Improvement began, he
said to me, evidently with purpose,
that it was strange how undisturbed a
man could be when so near death. He
supposed he had been as near the other
world as one could be and survive. His
| feeling had been at the time that every
moment might be his last; but he had
not suffered one particle of apprehen-
sion, or fear, or discomposure. He
evidently wished me to know this,
for we had once or twice in the
winter talked of religious beliefs.
Yet he said, at such time it hurts
no one to have lived good life. He
had been undisturbed, he repeated
this emphatically,- he believed
any one would be more comfortable at
such moment with a conscience that
could not reproach him. A good life
would certainly contribute to compos-
ure at the end.
1.-The 9th of April came, the ami
versary of Appomattox, and recovery
was still not assured. One of the sons
had presentiment that his father
would not survive that day, but it
would have been hard to have General
Grant surrender on the anniversary of
his greatest victory. Then came an
other jubilee. His birthday was the
9th of April, and by this time he was
so far restored as to be able to join the
| family for a while at dinner. There
were sixty-thrce lighted candles on the
table to celebrate the sixty-three years,
which month before no one had
hoped would ever be completed, and
the house was crowded with flowers,
| the gifts of thankful friends. BY the
1st of May he was so well that he sent
for stenographer and began to die
tate matter for his book.
THE secret of this partial recovery
is not far to find. 1t was after the
great expression of public sympathy
that Gen. Grant began to improve, af-
| ter his place in the affections of the
people was restored or resumed that
his whole nature, moral and physical,
became inspired and renovated. For
| this it was almost worth while to nave
suffered-to have the world recognize
his sensitiveness, and to receive himself
its appreciation in return. Few men
indeed have known in advance so near
ly the verdict of posthumous fame. No
death-bed was ever SO illumined by the
light of universal affection and admira-
tion."