New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-07-29
Graphic Description of the Last
Scene of His Existence at
Mount NIcGregor.
In the Presence of His Wife and
Children His Death is Sweet
and Painless.
The High and the Low Of This
and Other Lands Honor
His Name.

very last. A few minutes before s o'clock
Drs. Douglas, Shrady and Sands stood on the
cottage veranda, conversing on the condition
Of Gen. Grant, and discussing the probabili-
lies of his death and the limit of life left the
sick man. Mrs. Sartpris and Stenographer
Dawson were conversing a little distance
away, when Henry, the nurse, stepped hastily
upon the piazza and spoke quietly to the
physicians. He told them he thought the
general was very near to death. The med
ical men hastily entered the room where the
sick nam was lying and approached his side.
Instantly upon seeing the patients face DR..
Douglas ordered the family to be summoned
to the bedside Haste was made, and Mrs.
Grant, Mr. Jesse Grant and wife. U. s. Grant,
Jr., and wife aud Mrs Col. Grant were
quickly beside the doctors at the sick mans
cot, and Mrs. Sartoris and Mr.. Dawson bad
followed the doctors in from the piazza and
the entire family was present.
AT THE BEDSIDE.
Col. Grant seated 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 slightly
gasping respirations Mrs. Grant, calm, but
with intense agitation brayely suppressed,
took a seat close by the bedside She isaned
slightly upon the colonel. resting upon her
right elbow, and gazed, with tear-stained
eyes, into the generals face. She found
there, however, no token of recognition. for
the sick man was peacefully and painlessly
passing into another life. Mrs. Sartoris came
behind her mother, and leaning over her
shoulder, she witnessed the close of a life in
which she had constituted strong element
of pride. Directly behind Mrs Grant and
Mrs. Sartoris, and a little distance removed,
stood doctors Douglas, Shrady and Sands
as spectators OF a closing life their
efforts and counsel had so prolonged
On the opposite side of the bed from his
mother and directly before her stood Jesse
Grant and U. S Grant, Jr., and near the cor
ner of the cot, on the same side as Jesse and
near to each, was N. E. Dawson, the generals
stenegrapher and confidential secretary At
the foot OF the bed, and gazing directly down
into the generals face. was Mrs. Col. Fred
Grant and Mrs. U. S. Grant, Jr, and Mrs.
Jesse Grant, while somewhat removed from
the family circle, Henry, the nurse, and
Harrison 1'yrell, the generals body servant,
were respectively watching the closing life
OF their patient, their master Dr.. Newman
had repaired to the hotel for breakfast and
was not present. The generals little grand
children, U. S. Grant, Jr., and Nellie, were
sleeping the sleep of childhood in the
nursery room above. Otherwise the en-
tire family and household were gath
cred at the bedside of the dying man.
SUMMONED JUST IN TINE
The members of the group had been sum-
moned not moment sooner than was
prudent. The doctors noted, on entering
he 10
already the purplish tinge which was one of
natures signals Of final dissolution had
settled beneath the finger nails The hand
that DR.. Douglas lifted was fast growing
colder than it had been through the night
The pulse had fiuttered beyond the point
where the physician could distinguish it
from the pulse beat in his own finger tips
The respiration was very rapid and was a
succession OF shallow painting inhalations,
but toward the close they became less labored
and almost noise!ess This fact was in it's
result comfort to the watchers by the bed
slde to whom was spared the scene of an
agonizing or otherwise than peaceful
death. The wife almost constantly stroked
the face, forehead and hands of the dying
general, and at times, as the passionate long
ing to prevent the event so near would rise
within her, Mrs. Grant pressed both his
hands and leaning forward tenderly kissed
the face Of the sinking man. Col Fred
Grant saj silently, but with evident feeling,
though his bearing was that of a soldierly
son at the deathbed of hero father. U. S.
Grant, Jr, was deeply moved, but Jesse bore
the scene steadily, and the ladies', while
watching with wet cheeks, were silent as
bettted the dignity Of a life such as was clos
ing before them. The morning had passed
five minutes beyond 8 o'clock and there was
not one of
THE STRAINED AND WAITING WATCHERS
but who could mark the nearness of the life
tide to its final ebbing DR. Douglas noted
the nearness Of the supreme moment and
quietly approached the bedside and bent
above it, and while he did SO the sorrow of
the gray haired physician seemed closely
allied with that Of the family DR. Shrady
also drew near. It was seven minutes after
s o'clock and the eyes of the general were
closing. His breathing grew more hushed
as the last functions of the heart and lungs
were FASTENED to the closing of the ex-presi-
dents life: A peaceful expression seemed to
be deepening in the firm and strong lined
face and it was reflected as closing COM
fort in the sad hearts that beat quickly under
tAe stIess OF loving suspense AmlnUte more
passed and was closing as the general drew
deeper breath. There was an exhalation
Like that of one relieved Of long and anxious
tension. The members of the group were
impelled each to step nearer the bed, and
each waited to note the next respiration.
bnt it did not come then; it never came
There was absolute stiffness in the room
and hush of expectant surprise No sound
broke the silence save the singing of birds in
the pines outside the cottage and the meas
ured breaking Of the engine that all night
had awaited by the little mountain depot
down the slope
THE END OF ALL
1T is all over" quietly spoke d.. Doug
las, and then came heavily TO each witness
the realization that Gen. Grant was dead.
Then the doctors withdrew; the nurse
closed the eyelids and composed the dead
generals head, after which each of the fam
lily group pressed to the bedside one after
the other and touched Their lips upon the