The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-04-15
GRANT, TEE HERO. DYING.
Standing in t!se Valley Of the Shad- :
ow of Death-his Dissolution Mo-
mentaruIy Expected-A Sketch
of His lIlustrious Career.

General Grant passed a week of
spasms and weakness. He is linger-
ing in the Valley of the Shadow, but
is now better. Never" says the
doctor, could patient be more he
roic, more calm under the mountain
of his agony, or more considerate of
the comfort or feelings of those
about him. The torture of his dis
ease at times has been awful. But
never beyond an occasional involun.
tary gasp, or the uncomfortable ner-
vous twitchings of the muscles OF
his stern but kindly face, has he for
moment betrayed the pain that OPP
pressed him. 1t was when his suf-
fering. passed human endurance,
when every nerve in his quivering
frame seemed torn from its fibre and
he was gasping for breath, that his
will succumbed and he gave way to
that one agonized cry: q" | cannot
stand it, Harrison, | cannot stand
it; | am going to die" Then We
came and gave him relief for little
while, and he slept. He is better
now than he was then, and the i'm
mediate crisis is oyer. In my ex-
perience | never saw man so thor
oughly great in the hour of suffer
ing. He is to me a grander hero
to-day than when he faced the black
mouthed cannon of the Confederacy
in 1865 and gained the national So
briquet of the Hero of Appomattox."
Several times during the week it
was thought he was dying. Believ-
ing on Thursday morning at five
O'Clock that death was near, the
members of the family were sum-
moned by the doctors. The Gener-
al himself believed tnat his time had
come, and as his wife and sons and
the other members of his family
came before him he took each of
them by the hand as if to say fare
well. DR.. Newman called the MEM
bers of the family about the bed.
They knelt down, and the clergy
man offered prayer.
After the prayer the General, who
was apparently the most composed
of any in the room, exclaimed, in an
earnest way, Bless you'll Bless
you all.
Alter waiting for half an hour,
those who were watching saw visi-
bic improvement in the Generals
condition. His voice grew more
firm, his face took on a more anima-
ted look, and with little assistance
he rose from his chair and took a
few steps about the room.
At $50 p. NJ on Thursday Gener-
al Grant intimated to DR.. Shrady
that he thought he would like to
take his own temperature and also
see how his pulse was. DIR. Shrady
gave him the thermometer and he
put it in his mouth and kept it there
for about five minutes. He also set
his stop watch, placed it in his lap,
and put his second finger on his
pulse. At one time the watch SEEM
ed about to slip to the floor, but the
patient could make no remark, as
the thermometer was still in his
mouth. Nevertheless, the General
was able to take his own tempera-
ture and record his pulsations, and
this feat was regarded by DR.. Shra-
dy as indicating that his intellectu-
al perceptions were clear and un-
clouded.
While he was doing about ten
O'Clock, with no one in the room, he
suddenly started up. and in a half
dazed manner started Tor the door.
He had passed through it and was
almost in the hallway on his way
down stairs when DR.. Shrady seized |
him, and with the aid of Harrison
hurried him back to his couch. He
struggled for awhile, but the resist
ance soon subsided, and he sank
back exhausted. His starting up is
attributed to the action of the alco-
holic injections ofthe early morning
and his belief in his own power.
After he recovered from the effects
of his walk the physicians warned
him against repetition of it. T" You
must fight for US now, General"
said DR. Shrady, not against us"
"Well, I'm doing the best l can"
the patient replied feebly. Yes,
and you must do as well as you once
did," added the doctor. when do
you mean ?;' be asked. when
you had the army back ofyou," was
the reply. " But | haven't the army
back of me now.' came the grim
response, as he closed his eyes and
rested his head on the back of his
chair.
tits quite remarkable what num-
bers of aged men. who went through
the war with General Grant, have
visited the neighborhood and inquir-
ed ABOUT his condition. Their solic- |
itude for their old commander is,
however, only one of the pathetic
incidents that occur. Tie number
of ladies who walk past the house
all day is noticeable, and almost
every one of them stops to look and
inquire. Many had tears in their
ewes and were moved to emotion by
the sight of the closely curtained
windows of the dying mans room.
On Thursday night there was
crowd of men, women and children
numbering fully three thousand,
and as the hours moved on they be-
came more numerous. The officers,
however, kept them on the 60 con-
stantiy, though they never leave the
block.
GEN. GRANTS LIFE SERVICES.
There was little in the boyhood
or early career of Ulysses Grant that
gave evidence of the great part hel
was destined to play in the worlds
history. He cut, it is said, a poor
figure as farmer, his father was a
better tanner than he, and as busi- /,
ness man he did not distinguish
himself. His firmness of purpose
and stubborn will, which constituted
an important element in his militia.
~ success, formed noticeable trait