The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-07-31
THE LAST SCENE.
How General Grant Passed Away
at Mount McGregOr.
Sinking Quietly to Rest in the
Presence of his Family.

eral Grants death-bel is wildly told in the
following dispatch from Mount McGregor:
A few minutes before S o'clock this
morning Drs. Douglas, Shrady, and Sands
stood on the cottage Veranda conversing of
the condition of General Grant, and disclosing
the probabilities Of his death and the limit of
life left the sick man Mrs Sartoris and the
stenographer. Mr. Dawson, were convcrsing
n 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
Tho medical men hastily entered the room
where the sick man was lying and approached
his side Instantly upon scanning the pa
TENTS face Dr. Douglas ordered the family
to be summoned to the be lside. Mrs Grant,
Mr.. Jesse Grant and wife, [. S. Grant. Jr,
and wife. and Colonel Grants wife were
quickly beside the do tors at the sick mans
cot. Mrs. Sartors and Mr.. Dawson had fol-
lowed the doctors in from the piazza, and the
entire family was present, except Colonel
Fred Grant A hasty summons was sent for
him, but h entered the sickroom while
the messenger was searching for him
The colonel seated himself at the heaS of the
bed, with his left arm restlngupon the pillow
above the head of the gen rial, who was breath
ing rapidly and with slightly gasping respira-
tions Mrs Grant calm but with intense agi-
tation lrlvcly suppressed, took n seat close
by the bedside She leaned slightly upon the
cot resting upon her right elbow, and gazing
with tear-binded eyes into the generals face.
She found there. however no token of recog-
milton. Mrs SartOris came behind her
mother, and leaning over her shoulders so
witnessed the close of her fathers life. Di-
rectly behind Mrs Grant and Mrs. Sartoris,
and at q little distance removed stood Drs.
Douglas, Shrady and Sands. On the oppo
site side of the bed from his mother and di-
rectly before her stood Jesse Grant and L. $.
Grant, Jr., and Near the corner of the cot on
tbo ii la i n
Mr. y. T.. Dawson, the Generals stenogra-
phcr and confidential secretary. Atthe foot of
the bed and gazing directly down into the gen.
erals face were Mrs. Fred Grant, Mrs. L. s
Grant, Jr, Mrs. Jesse Grant, while somewhat
remove from the family, Henry, the nurse, and
Harrison Tyrrcl, the generals body servant,
were watching the closing life of patient and
master DR.. Newman had repaired to the
hotel to breakfast and was not present The
generals little grand children, I. ). Grant,
Jr, and Nellie, were sleeping in the nursery
room. Otherwise the entire family house
hold was gathered around the bedside of the
dying man.
The members of the group had been sum-
moned not a moment too soon The doctors
noted ON entering the room and pressing to
the bedside that already the purplsh tinge
which is one of the signals Of final dissolu-
ton had settled beneath the finger nails The
hand that Or. Douglas lifted was fast grow
ing cold. The pulse had tluttered beyond the
it from the pulse beats in his own finger tips.
Respiration was very rapid, and was sue
cession of shallow painting inhalation; but
happily as the end approached the patient
was becoming relieved Of the rafting
fullness of throat and lungs as the respira-
ton grew more rapid at the close. it also be-
came les, labored and almost nois less. This
fact was IN its results q comfort to the watch
ers to whom spared the scene OF other
than peaceful death. Mrs. Grant almost
constantly strokel the face, forehead, and
hands Of the diving general: and at times
pressed both his hands, and learing forward
tenderlv kissed the face of the sinking man.
Colonel Fred Grant sat silently, but with evil
dent feeling, though his bearing was that of
soldierly son at the death-bed OF hero-father
L. S. Grant, Jr., was deeply moved. Jesse
bore the scene steadily and the ladies' while
watching with wet cheeks We're silent
The morning had passed five minutes be-
yonl S o'clock. DR.. Douglas noted the near
ness of the supreme moment, and quietly APP
preached the bedside, and bent above it. The
grav-ha physicians grief seemed closely
allied with that Of tn, family. DR.. Shradv
also drew near. 1t was seven minutes past
o'clock, and the eyes of the general were
closing. His breathing grew more hushed.
A peaceful expression seemed to be deepening
in the firm and strong lined face.
minute more passed rs the general drew
de- breath. There was an eXhalatiOn like
that of one relieved of long and anxious ten
sion. The members of the group were inn
PEELED step nearer the bed, and each waited
to note the next respiration; but it never
came. No sound broke the silence save the
singing of birds in the pines outside the cot
tage and the measured throbbing of the
engine that all night had waited by the little
mountain depot down the slope. ut Is all
over quietly spoke DR.. Douglas, and there
came 'then heavily to each the realization
that G. eneral Grant was dead.
Then tho doctors Withdrew, the nurse
closed down the cvelIds and composed the
dead generals head, after which each of the
family group pressed 10 the bedside one after
the other and tou he'd their lips upon the
/ quiet face.
| DIR. Shradv passed out upon the piazza and
as he did so met DR.. Newman Fastening up
{ the steps Z" He is dead" remarked Dr.
Shrady, quietly. The fact of having been alb
sent from the side of the dying man AMI his
/ family at the last was cause OF severe re-
| Cret to the clergyman who had waited all
night at the cottage He had been summoned
a moment too late
1t is not known that General Grant uttered
a word after asking for glass of water at
8 o'clock.
DR.. Shrady this morning under the head
line cat Last, " sent TO the Medical Record.
the following official bulletin of General
Grants dying hours:
"Since our last bulletin was written the
final change has come to General Grant. lie
morning On the morning of the day preVl.
Gus Dir Douglas summoned Drs. Sands and
Shra " TO meet him in consultation Mt Mount
McGresor as General Grant was sink
ing, and death seemed imminent. On
their arrival the patient was found in very
prostratcl condition, with feeble and fire
quent pulls, rapid respiration and inability
to swallow He was suffering no pain, hut
by his listlesS manner was apparently con,
scious that death was near. 1t was decided
to sustain his vital powers to the utmost. and
make his approaching end as comfortable as
possible The disposition to cough had
ceased and the respiration, although much
accelerated. was not mechanically impeded
bY accumulated mucus secretions. At the
time of the consultation he was in his easy
chair occupied so constantly by him day and
night for the past five months Toward
evening, by his own request, he was trans
ferred to his bed. where he rested quietly
until his death. AS was anticipated by the
medical gentlemen in attendance, he con
tinued to sink, despite the stimulants locally
applied and hypolermicaly administered
Ills fear of a painful and agonizing death
was happily for him, as for his family, NOT re
allied He simply passed away by gradua
! and ea.V cessation Of the hearts action Thus