River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-07-30

Mr. MCGREGoR July %. The end
has come and at eight minutes after
eight O'Clock this morning Gen. Grant
brcathed his last. A few minutes
before o clock, Drs. Douglass, Shrady
and Sands stood on the cottage
veranda, conyersing on the condition
of Gen. Grant, and discussing the
probabilities of his death and the limit
of life left The sick man. Mrs. Sartoris
and Stenographer Dawson were con-
versing 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 man was lying
and approached his side. Instantly
upon seeing the patients face DR..
Douglas ordered the family to be
summoned to the bedside. Haste was
made. and Mrs Grant, Mr.. Jesse and
wife, u. S. Grant, Jr., and wife, and
Mrs. Col. Grant were quickl y beside the
doctors at the sick mans cot, and Mrs.
Sartoris and Mr.. Dawson had followed
the doctors in from the piazza, and the
entire family was present, except Col.
Fred Grant a hasty summons was
sent fol MIN, but he entered the sick
room while the messenger was search
ing for him. The colonel seated him
self at the head of the bed, with his left
arm resting upon the pillow ut the head
of the general,
WHO WAS BREATHING RAPIDLY
and with slightly gaspmg respirations.
Mrs. Grant, calm, but with intense agi-
tation bravely suppressed, took seat
close by the bedside, She leaned slight
ly upon the colonel, resting upon her
right elbow, and gazed, with tear-blind-
ed 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. Sartoris, came be-
hind her mother and, leaning over her
shoulder, so witnessed the close of Il
life III which she had constituted a
strong element of pride. Directly be-
hind Mrs. Grant and Mrs. SartOris and
a little distance removed stood Drs.
Douglas, Shrady and Sands as specta-
tors
OF CLOSING LIFE.
their efforts and counsel had so pro-
longed. On the opposite side of the
bed from his mother and directly be-
fore her, stood jesse Grant and u. S.
Grant, Jr., and near the corner of the
cot on the same side as jesse and near
to each, was Mr. N. E. Dawson, the
generals stenographer and confidential
secretary. At the foot of the bed and
gazing directly down into the general s
face. was Mrs Col. Fred Grant and
Mrs. u. S Grant, Jr., and Mrs. Jesse
Grant. while somewhat removed from
the family circle, Henry, the nurse, and
Harrison Tyrell, 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 generals little grand
children, U. S. Grant, ,Jr., and Nellie,
were sleeping the sleep of childhood in
the nursery room above. Otherwise
the entire family and household were
gathered at
THE BEDSIDE OF THE DYING MAN.
The members of the group had been
summoned not moment sooner than
was prudent. The doctors noted, on
entering the room and pressing to the
bedside, that already the purple tinge
which was one of natures Signals, of
final dissolution had settled beneath the
finger nails. The hand that DR.. Doug
las lifted was fast growing colder than
it had been through the night. The
pulse had fluttered beyond the point
where the physician could distinguish it
FROM THE PULSE BEATS
in his own finger tips. The respiration
was very rapid and was a succession of
shallow painting inhalations, but hap
PLY the approaching end was bccom-
ing clear of the rafting fullness of the
throat and lungs, and as the respira-
ton grew quicker and more rapid to-
ward the close, they also became less
labored and almost noiseless. This
fact was in its result a comfort to the
watchers by the bedside. to whom was
spared the scene of an agonizing or
otherwise 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 kiss
ed the face of the sinking man.
THE LAST MOMENTS.
Col Fred Grant sat silently, out with
evident feeling, though his bearing was
that Of soldierly son at the deathbed
of hero father. U. S. Grant. Jr.,
was deeply moved, but Jesse bore the
scene steadily and the ladies while
watching with wet cheeks, We're silent
as beftted the dignity of a life such as
was closing before them. The morn