Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-08-07

MI. MAcGREGoR, July 24.-General
Grant died at sos a: m. yesterday, sur
rounded by all his family. He passed out
of life peacefully and without evident
pain.
A few minutes before eight o'clock Drs.
Douglas, Shrady and Sands stood on tho
cottage veranda conversing of the condi-
ton of General Grant, and discussing the
probabilities of his death, and the limit Of
life left the sick man; Mrs. Sartoris and
Stenographer Dawson were conversing q
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 medical men hastily entered
the room where the sick mar was lying,
and approached his side. Instantly upon
scanning 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.
q. S. Grant, Jr., and wife, and Mrs. Fred
' Grant were quickly beside the doctors at
the sick mans cot, Mrs. Sartoris and Mr..
Dawson had followed the doctors in
from the piazza, and the entire family
was present except Colonel Fred Grant.
A hasty summons was sent for him, but
he entered the sick-room while the mes
senger 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 was breath
ing rapidly and with Slightly gasping respi-
rations. Mrs. Grant, calm, but with IN
tense agitation bravely suppressed, took a
seat close by the bedside. She leaned light
ly upon the cot, resting upon her right ell
bow. and gazed with tear blinded eyes into
the Generals face. She found there, how
ever, no token of recognition, for the sick
man was peacefully and painlessly pass
ing into another life. Mrs. Sartoris
came behind her mother, and, leaning over
life in which she had constituted a strong
element of pride. Directly behind Mrs.
Grant and Mrs. S%artoris, and at a little
distance removed, stood Drs. Doug.
las, Shrady and Sands, spectators
Of a closing life their efforts and
counsel had so prolonged. On the
opposite of the bed from his mother,
and directly before her, stood Jesse Grant,
and by his side U. S. Grant, Jr., and near
the corner of the cot, OH the same side as
Jesse and near to each, was Mr.. n. E. Daw-
son, the Generals stenographer and conf
DENTAL Secretary. At the foot of the bed,
Generals face, was Mrs. Colonel Fred
Grant, Mrs. U. S. Grant, Jr., and
Mrs. Jesse Grant, while somewhat
removed from the family circle Henry, the
nurse, and Harrison Tyrrell, the Generals
body servant, were respectively watching
the closing life of the patient, their master.
DR.. Newman had repaired to the hotel to
breakfast, and was not present. The Cen
erals little grandchildren, u. S. Grant, Jr.,
n Nellie, were sleeping the sleep Of
childhood in the nursery-room above.
Otherwise the entire family and house
hold were gathered at the bedside of the
dying man. The members of the group had
been summoned not a moment sooner than
it was prudent. The doctors noted. on en-
tering the room and proceeding to the bed
side, that already the purplish tinge, which
is one of natures signals of final dis
solution, 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
fluttered beyond the point where tile ply
sician could distinguish it from the
pulse : beats in his own finger TIPS.
n respiration was very rapid,
and was a succession Of shallow, painting
mLalatiollS, DuC happily the approaching
end was becoming clear of the rafting full
ness OF the throat and lungs, and, as the
respirations grew quicker and more rapid
at the close, they also became less labored
and almost noiseless. This fact was in its
results a comfort to the watchers by the
bedside, to whom was spared the scene of
an agonizing or other than a peaceful
death. The wife almost constantly stroked
the face, forehead and hands of the dying
| General, and, at times, as the passionate
longing 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.
Colonel Fred Grant sat silently, but with
evident feeling, though his bearing was
that Of a soldierly son at the d~eath-bed
of a 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 betitted tho