News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-07-30

THE END ON MT. McGREGOR.
The Wasted Veteran at Rest.
SAD SCENES OF HIS LAST HOURS.

With the word water on MS ups,
General Grant died free from pain and
without a struggle, at sos Thursday |
July 23d. By the side of his
leath-bed were gathered the members
Of the family who were not unpre-
pared for the end, having been warned
by the physicians and evident weak
ness of the dying general that death
could not longer be averted.
The physicians believed that the
patient might reach extreme ebb of
strength at 1 o'clock Thursday morn
ing, and the approach of that hour
was anticipated with intense anxiety
at the cottage. 1t passed, however,
and the general, resting upon his back
and propped by pillows, lay upon the
cot bed in the parlor, still living, but
growing weaker. Repeatedly brandy
was injected beneath the skin of the
generals arm, but despite its warm
ing influence respirations had quick
ened from forty-fou during the eve
ming to a point of labored breathing
that was painful to the friends who
were grouped and bent near the sick
man.
At o'clock the General asked for
water; at breathing was quickened
and reached so minute. An hour
later respiration had reached 60, and
between 5 and 6 o'clock his finger
nails had become blue and his hands
further evidenced the progress of
numbness at the extremeties. At
every breath mucous clogging in the
throat was more noticeable, and at
eight minutes past eight he died
peacefully. Thus ended the career of
Americas greatest soldier.
General Grants fear of a painful
and agonizing death was, happily for
him and his family, not realized. He
simply passed away by a gradual and
easy cessation of the heart. This
would have been inevitable had his
general strength allowed the throat
disease to progress in its usual way.
General Grants courage was never
more fully shown than during the long
weeks of his final struggle. Though
continually suffering from pain he
never complained. Sometimes his
head was racked with neuralgia pains,
but he bore them heroically without
On account of the neural
gia he wore knitted cap almost con-
Much of the time he sat
in an easy chair, with his feet upon
another chair. When he was most
restless, or the pain was more than he
could bear, he walked the room, sup
ported by his cane or the valet. He
devoted all the time he could to his
book, writing himself or debating to
an amanuensis as far as his diseased
tongue would permit, and always
showing a clearness of mind and te-
nacity of memory that was wonderful.
He had voluminous notes and records,
but frequently he would recall with
the utmost fidelity the minutest points
of some march or battle that had tax
en- place 20 years ago. He continued
his literary work up to within a short
time of his death.
Ulysses S. Grant, the triumphant
captain of the war for the Union and
one of the foremost soldiers of our
lime. died after having entered upon
The Gath year of his age, and after
ong and patient endurance of a
dreadful disease whose end was sure
rom its beginning. Thus passes
away the supreme military figure of
Dur bitter civil strife, at a time when
first it is realized that the epoch of
that strife is over, and that new issues
must henceforth control the politics of
the repulic. Gen. Grant has been in
his lifetime ranked among the great
of history, nor is it like
ly that the future will reverse the
Judgment. His work will bear exam
nation, and the examiner will arise
from his task with the conviction that
no happy accident, no luck or favor,
no mere force of numbers, made Grant
the ender of the rebellion, but an ex-
traordinary and comprehensive fore
sight, backed by a mastery of detail |
and exercised with decision as sure
and persistence as absolute as were |
ever possessed by general. Years
were spent in experiments searching
for this ideal commander; men were
tried, one after another. who could I
make the best of intrenchments, who
Gould draw the finest of diagrams or
write out the most ingenius plans, /
whose headquarters were in the sad
lie, who had led magnificent charges,
Who, in short, could do we'll some sim
,le thing, or even many things, but
Who lacked the reach around and the
ook ahead, the personal power and
he stern will that were needed an d
hat Grant had.
While in conversation with cor
of the Associated Press
DR.. Douglas read to the reporter a
document which was writ
ten by Gen. Grant on July 2. In
this article the General says that he
knew that he gained strength some
lays, but when he did go back it wa.
beyond where he started to improve.
He thought the doctor would be able
20 keep him alive until the change of
weather toward winter, but realized
hat contingencies might arise at any
,ime that would carry him off very
suddenly. The most probable con-
I.