Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-07-31
MT. McGregor.

Mt. McGregor.
Mt. McGREGoR, July PA few
minutes before 6'oclock am, Doctors
Douglas, Shrady and Sands, stood on
the cottage Veranda conversing of the
condition of Gen. Grant, and discuss
ing the probabilities of his death and
the limit of life left the sick man.
Mrs. Sartoris and stenographer Daw-
son, were conyersing a little distance
away, when Henry, the nurse, stepped
hastily up on the piazza, and spoke
quietly to the physicians. He told
them he thought the General was very
near to death. The medical men hastily
entered the room where the sick man
was lying and approached his side. In
stantly upon scanning the patients face,
DR.. Douglas ordered the family to be
summoned to the bedside. Haste was
made-Mrs,G Grant, Mr.. Jesse and wife,
U S. Grant, Jr., and wife, and Mrs.
Col. Grant, were quickly beside the
bed at the sick mans foot. Mrs. Sar-
toris and Mr.. Dawson and followed the
doctors in from the piazza, and the
entire family were present, ex-
cept Col. Fred Grant. A hasty sum-
mons was sent him. but he entered the
sick room while the messenger was
searching for him. The Colonel seat
ed himself at the head of the bed,
with his left arm resting upon the
pillow above the head Of the General,
who was breathing rapidly, and with a
slightly gasping respiration; Mrs.
Grant, calm. but with intense agita-
ton briefly suppressed, took a seat
close by the bedside; she leaned
slightly upon the Colonel, resting upon
her elbow, and gazed with tear-bedew-
ed eyes into the Generals face; she
found there, however, no sign of
recognition, for the sick man, was
peacefully and painlessly passing to
another life. Mrs. Satoris came behind
her mother, and leaning over her
shoulder, SO witnessed the close of a
life in which she had constituted a
strong element of pride; directly
behind Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Satoris,
and at a little distance removed, stood
Drs. Douglas, Shrady and Sands, spec
tators of a closing life their efforts and
counsel had so prolonged.
On the opposite side of the bed from
their mother, and directly before her,
stood Jesse Grant and U. s. Grant, Jr.
and near the corner Of the cot, on the
same side as Jesse, and near to each
was Mr.. N. E. Dawson, the generals
stenographer and confidential secretary
AT the foot of the bed, gazing directly
down into the generals face, was Mrs
Col. Fred Grant, Mrs. U. S. Grant, Jr.
and Mrs. Jesse Grant, while somewhat
removed from the family circle Henry
the nurse, and Harrison, the general
body servant, were respectively watch
ing the closing Of the life Of the pa
tient. DR.. Newman had repaired t.
the hotel to breakfast, and was no
present. The generals little grand
Children-U.S S. Grant, Jr., and Nellie
were sleeping the sleep Of childhooI
in the nursery 0 above; otherwis
the entire family and household wer'
gathered at the bedside Of the dyinI
man. Members of the group had beer
summoned not a moment soone
than was prudent. The doctor noticeC
on entering the room, that already tn,
purplish tinge, which is n of tn
signals iof vital dissolution, had SET
tied beneath the finger nails. Tn
hand that DIR. Douglas lifted was fas
growing colder than it had bee
through the night. His pulse ha
futtered beyond the point wher
the physician could distinguish it fror
the pulse beats in his own finger tip
The respiration was very rapid, an
was a succession Of shallow paintings
The wife almost constantly stroke
the face, forhead and hands of tn
dying general, and at times, as th
passionate longing to prevent th
event so near would rise within hel
pressed both his hands, and leaninI
forward, tenderly kissed the face o
the sinking man. Col. Fred Gran
sat patiently, but with evident feeling
though his bearing was that Of
soldierly son at the death bed Of a her
father. u. S. Grant, Jr. was deepl
moved, but Jesse bore the scene stead
lily, and the ladies. while watchin
with wet cheeks were silent as BETTE
the dignity Of a life such as was clo'
ing before them. The morning ha
passed Eve minutes beyond s o'clocl
and.there was not one Of the straine
and waiting watchers but who coul
mark the nearness Of the life tide I
its final ebbing. DR.. Douglass note
tHe nearness Of the supreme momen
and quietly approached the bed sid
and leaned above it, and while he di
81 the sorrow Of the gre,
haired physician seemed closely allie
with that Of the family. DR.. Shrad
also drew near. It was seye