Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-29
GRANTS HOPE.


From the Se'c York Sun. JuJv 81.
1t is curious fact that even up to
within three weeks of his death Gen.
Grant occasionally expressed the hope
that he might after all get well, or at least
live several years. The last time was
when DIR. Newman was there three weeks
ago. The swelling under the ear had di-
minished and he could breathe more
freely through his nose with his mouth
closed. He had a slight relish for food,
suffered no pain, and moved about with
much less difficulty than before. He re-
hearsed all these favorable symptoms
to Or. Newman, who had with him
medical journal, which also gave
some encouragement, and DIR.
Newman said: general, ii all this is
true, you may live for some years yet"
The General assented TO this. But 1t was
only mOmentarily that these CLEANS of
hope came to him. In the bottom OF his
heart he knew he must die. Nothing
could exceed the thOroughness with which
he had prepared to meet death. He seems
to have thought of everything, and all
that Col. Grant has to do, except as re-
CARDS the incidental arrangements for
the funeral, Is to follow out In
structOns as clearly and tersely
worded as so many orders TO AN army.
The General also wrote many af-
fectiOnate and tender notes to his family
in general and to individual members OF
it. A long one Of three or four pages,
which he had labOred at stealthily from
time to time. WAS found sealed up in an
envelope in his coat pocket after he had
been dead tor some time. IT was addressed
to Mrs. Grant, and was filled with en-
dearing expressions and touching words
of consolation. Besides this he wrote a
long letter to his family, urging them to
mutual love and harmony.
The furniture in the cottage will be left
as nearly as it was when Gen. Grant died
as possible; at any rate this will be the
case as far as the parlOr in which the
General actually expired is concerned
and with regard to the bedroom in which
he suffered so long. The chair in which
he WAS wont to sit on the veranda VIII be
religi0usly preserved. 1t was brought up
to the hotel this morning, and some of the
newspaper correspondents stood behind
it in group, with Harrison in the back
ground, and had their photographs taken.
The chair and large portion of the other
furniture VIII be turned over to the gov
eminent with the cottage, by Mr.. Drexel.
Gin looking back over Gen. Grants i'll
ness" said DIR. Newman to-day, 81 think
nothing more strikingly reveals Gen.
Grants character than the minute details
he put into all his arrangements for the
future. This is shown in the exhaustive
directions he left for the guidance of his
family after he was dead. He left absO-
lutely nothing unthOught of and unprO-
vided for.
Zone morning last spring." continued
the clergyman, she was seated in his
chair, and the doctors thought he had not
five minutes TO live. l knelt down by his
side and he said quietly, Il am gOing.'
said, Il trust the future is bright before
YOU ooh, yes he replied subsequently,
as we were sitting side by side in the
evening, he said: Three times | have
been down in the valley of the shadow of
death What was your supreme thought
then, GeneralH | asked. Il thought be
replied, that had tried to live a good and
honorable liie.' At another time he said
to me: 'In one OF those moments when
my life seemed hanging by thread l bad
strange hallucination. ! thought that
the whole lower portion OF the house was
church, and that had the keys to it.
knew it was not so, and looked around
me to disabuse myself of the idea, but 1t
still chung to Inc, and l could not throw it
off. In spite of myself the fancy chung to
me that beneath me was church,"