The Republican journal., 1885-07-30
The Death of Gen. Grant.

|
HIS sUFFERINGs ENDED, THURSDAY MORN
ING. THE END PEACEFUL AND WITHOUT
| EVIDENT PAIN. HOW HIS LAST NIGHT ON
| EARTH WAS PASSED.
Mt MCGREGoR, N. Y, July 23d. Gen.
Grant died at sos, Thursday morning, sur
rounded by all his family. He passed out of
life peacefully and without evident pain.
At nine last night, one of Gen. Grants ply
sicans conceded, with some caution, that the
patient might survive until July 23d. His
meaning was that the sick man might yet be
| living when midnight should mark new day.
The physicians indication, 1t was not prog
nostication, was borne out, and more, the
General passed into the first hour of the Gay.
He saw its light at sunrise and through the
| early morning hours he still survived.
At two O'clock of July 23d, however, there
was change in Gen. Grants condition which
| was significant. The chill at the eXtremties
was increasing and the use of hot applications
to keep warmth in the extremities We're re-
sorted to.
They of some avail but the artificial
| heat was without power to reach the case or
| stay the results of dissolution, which began
Tuesday evening ana had been progressing
| steadily, though hypodermics of brandy were
| frequently given to stimulate the tagging ply
Steal powers. But later the failed to affect the
patient whose vitality and whose physical
| forces were so far spent as to furnish no foot
| ing for rebound. Indeed, the efforts of the
could stand by inactive and without trial of an
| eNpedient that might prolong his life an hour
Or a minute.
The physicians believed that the patient
)irhf fhn pl,l, If Str moth of
| one, sths morning, and the approach of he
hour was anticipated with intense anxiety at
the cottage. 1t passed, however, and the gen
eral lying upon his back, and propped up by
two pillows, lay upon the cot bed in the parlor.
lie was yet living, but growing weaker
The inevitable close of the generals sickness
seemed more and more imminent The feeble
pulse beats had worn themselves by their rap
idity to u tluttering throb that could not be
gauged beneath the finger of the physician.
The body was being worn out by its own life
current, so rapid was It's coursing through The
veins. Repeatedly. brandy was entered be-
| meath the skin of the generals arm, but despite
| its warming influence the resprations had
quckened from A to the minute during the
evening to point of labored breathing that
was painful Friends who had grouped around
bent near the sick man. Two O'Clock had been
passed and the evidences of nearing death We're
multiplying. The increasing respiratons We're
not alone more rapid but more shallow. The
| lungs and heart We're giving away. So weak
had General Grant grown at three O'Clock that,
| though he frequently attempted to do so, he
| was unable anv longer to clear the gathering
mucu> from his throat.
1t accumulated and remained and rs four
| O'Clock drew on and daylight came, point had
| been reached when eXpecto1aton was impossi-
| Bile. There was not left enough strength, and
from four on there was in the throat the sig
niticant rattle Of mucus that was filling the
| lungs and cloggipg the throat. At three the
| General asked for water and after that it is not
remembered that he uttered any word At four
| the breathing quckened ano reached 30 to
| the minute. An hour later the respiration had
| reached sixty. and between five and six the fin
ger nails had become blue and the hands furth-
er evidenced the progress of numbness at the
eXtremites. and at every breath, the mucus
co%ging in the throat was growing noticeable.
HIS LAST HOURS.
A few inmates before Drs. Douglass, Shrady
and Sands stood on the veranda conycrsing of
the condition Of Gen. GRAM and discussing the
probabilities of his death and the limit of life
left the sick man. Mrs. Sartoris and Stenog-
rapher Dawson were conversing little dis
tance 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. Medical men
hastily entered the room where the sick man
was lying and approached his side. Instantly
upon bis scanning the patients face, DR.. Doug
lass ordered the family to be summoned to the
bedside. Haste was made and Mr.. Jesse and
wife, U. S. Grant, jr. and wife and Mrs.
Col. Grant We're quickly beside the doctors
at the sick mans cot. Mrs. Sartoris and
Mrs. Dawson had followed the doctors in
from the piazza. And the entire family
was present except Col. Fred Grant. IIasty
summons was sent for him, but he entered the
sick room while the messenger was searching
for him. The Colonel seated himself at the
head of the bed with his left arm resting upon
the pillow above the head of the General who
l,I,
ing respirations. Mrs. Grant calm, but with in
tense inward agitation bravely suppressed
, took a seat close by the bedside. She leaned
slightly upon the Colonel, resting upon her
right elbow, and gazing with nearly blinded
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. Saroris came behind her mother and
leaning on her shoulder, so witnessed the close
of the life in which she had constituted strong
element of pride. Directly behind Mrs. Grant
and Mrs. Sartors, at a little distance removed
stood DR.. Douglass, Shrady and Sands. specta-
tors of the closing of life which their efforts
and counsel had prolonged. DR.. Newman
had repaired to the hotel to breakfast and was
not present.
The Generals little grandchildren, T. S.
Grant Jr., and Nellie, were asleep in the
nursery room above stairs. Otherwise the
entire family and household We're gathered
at the bedside of the diving man.
The members of the group had been sum-
moned not moment sooner than was prudent
The doctors noted Oh entering the room and
pressing to the bedside that already "a purplisl,
tinge which is one of the natural signs of final
dissolution, had settled beneath the finger nails
The hand that Dr. Douglass lifted fast
growing colder than it had been through the
night.
moned to preserve Gen. Grants remains. but
the local undertaken will undoubtedly conduct
] the immediate details and convey the remains
to New York. When the body shall have
reached New York, the question of post NOR
, TEN will be considered and determined by the
family.
Touching the place for burial, the general Il
/ month ago indicated three places as sniing his
wishes IN that direction. strong desire has
been expressed to the family that the burial
should take place in Washington, and efforts
have been put forth to make New York the last
resting place of the general Before his death
however. General Grant left the choice of q
burial spot entirely to Col. Fred Grant, impos-
Ing only the condition that the spot selected
should be such that Mrs. Grant might rest by
his side. His remains will be removed to New
ork by Il spteia! train and there prepared fol
burial
WHERE WILL HE BE BURIED2
WASHINGTON, July 23d. Col. Frederick I
? Dent, Gen. Grants brother-in-law, who is now
a resident of this city, was asked Wednesday il
he knew what place had been selected for the
Generals burial, and replied that he did not
although he had made inquiry on the subject
When at Mt. McGregor, recently, from a re-
mark made to him by member of the Gener-
ais family he inferred that positive selection
! had been made by the General, but that it was
known only to himself and Mrs Grant and Col
Fred Grant. He was inclined to think, how
yer, that the General had not selected Wash
ington, but possibly West Point.
THE LAST WORD SPOKEN.
1t is not known that Gen. Grant uttered a
l word after asking for glass of water at three
O'Clock.
THE NEWS RECEIVED IN WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, July 22d. Shortly after eight
O'Clock, Thursday morning, President Cleve.
t land was informed of the death of Gen. Grant.
lie Immediately ordered the flag on the White
! House to be placed at half mast. The lowering
of the flag was the first lntimaton that the citi.
: zens Of Washington had of the death of the dis,
t tlnguished man, although they had been antci-
: pating it throughout the evening. few min
. utes after the White House flag was placed at
half mast. the FLAGS the nublip lJipps nd