The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-07-29
GRANTS LAST MOMENTS.
THE soRRoWFUL SCENE IN THE CHAMBER
OF DEATH.
The Family md the Physicians
Grouped Around the Dying Sol
dicr.s Cot So Mrs. Grants .pififUi
Gricf...Thc Bearing Of II SONS
md DnuShtcrS.-Thc Final Gasp.

NIotfST McGHEGOR, July 3-Thc details OF
the death OF Gen. Grant, winch was alihouhc.
ed this morning, wilt be read with interest
4 few minutes before S o'cloc Drs. Douglas,
Shrahy and Sands stood on tic cottage vcrili.
uu, conversing OF the condition OF Gen. CRAM
and the limit OF life left the sick man, when
Henry, The nurse. stepped hastily upon the
piazza and spoke quietly, to The physicians.
lie tod them he thought that the General WINS
entered the room where the sick man was 49,
Ing. and approached his side. Instantly upon
The patients face Dr. douglas ORDER
cd the family 10 DC summoned 70 inc peoSlae.
Grant and wife,. L. y. Grant. Jr, and wife anu
Mrs. Col. Grant were quickly beside The doc,
tors mt the sick mans cot. Mrs. S:lrioriS anu
Mr.. Dawson had followed the doctors In from
the piazza, and the entire family was present,
except To-. Fred. Grant. y lhsty summons
was sent for him, but lccntercd the sick room
while the messenger WIS searching Tor MN.
Tho Colonel seated himself at tic head OF the
bel, with his left arm resting upon the pillow
above the head of the General, who WAS
breathing rapidly and with slightly gnSpiinS
rrspirnii0ns. Mrs. Grant, calm. but with IN
tense agitation Irnvely suppressed, took a
seat clrse by tho bedside. She leaned slightly
the cot. resting upon her right CHOW
and gazing with tcar-blinded eyes into the
token Of recognition, for tho sick man WAS
peacefully nnd painlcss:y passing into anoth-
or life. Mrs. SarturlS came behind her nloth.
or, and leaning over her shoulder witnessed
the close Of the life In which s!o had constI.
tutpd so strong an element OF pride. Directly
behind Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Sartnris. aud al 4
little distance removed, Stool nrs. Douglas,
Shrady and Sands. spectators Of tho closing
lifc Which their efforts aud counsel had SO pro-
longrl. On the opposite side Of the bed flom
their mother and directly before her stood
Jesse Grant and Us. Grant, Jr; ~ me 1901
Generals face was M:s. Col. Fred. Grant, Mrs.
u. 5. Grant, Jr., und Mrs. Jesse Grant.
TIE APPROACHING ND.
Or. Newman had repaired to tho hotel to
breakfast and was not present, ana tho Con
erals little grand children, u 5. Grant, Jr,
and Nellie, were sleeping In the nursery room
above stairs. Otherwise the entire itml!ynnd
household were gathered at the bedside OF the
dying man. The members OF the group had
been summoned not q moment sooner than
was provident. Tic doctors noted, on enter
ing the room and pressing to :hc bedside, that
natures signals OF final dissolution, had set
tied beneath the finger nails. The hand TINT
nr. Douglas lifted was fast growing colder
than ii had hecn through tho night, the pulse
had fluttcrcd beyond the point where the ply
stefan could distinguish IL from tic pulse
beats in his own finger tips. tho respiration
was very rapid and was Il succession of shall
low painting Limitations. but hrppily the APP
preaching end was becoming clear OF the rat.
tling fuIIrsS Of tho throat and lungs, and AS
:,,c rrsVirntIons grow rapid and more rapid at
tic close they also became less laborcd and al
most ;lOi"tipSs. This fact WAS q comfort to the
watchers by the bedside. to whom WAS spared
the sight of an Hgonizin. or other tim peace.
FIJI death. The wife almost constantly stroll; cd
the face, forehead and hnnds Of the dying
General. and NJ tiinca, Us u passionate longing
TO prevent the event SO near would rise with
in her, Mrs Graut pressed both his hands and,
leaning forward, trnGcily kissed the face of
the s!nkin g man. Col. Fred. Grant sat silent
Is ut %,,n c ~ iTcrlns, .mossn mn ms , n"ir.
bed Of a hero father. u. s.. Grant, Jr., was
deeply moved, but Jesse bore the scene stead
lily, and the Ladies', while watching with wet
life such ns WIS closing before them. The
morning had passed fifty minutes beyond ]
o'clock, anu there was not one OF tho strained
and waiting watchers but could marx tho
DR.. Douglass noted the nearness of tho SUI
prcinc moment and quietly approached the
bedside and bent over II, and while he did so
the sorrow of the sray-hnired physician sccn.-
Shrady also drew near. 1t WAS five minutes
of IS o'clock and the eyes OF the General wcrc
closing, his breathing grew more flushed and
the last functions OF tho heart and lungs were
fastened 10 the ending of the eX-PreSidentS
lie. The penccfr,l expression seemed TO be
deepening In the firm and strong lined face,
and It was reflected rs q closing comfort III the
end hearts that beat quickly under the stress
" loNlilo - q 70 aht'AS Ips'S|S
and was closing rs the General drew = deeper
breath. There was an eXhalation like that OF
one relieved Of q long and nSiOu tension.
Members Of the group were impelled each. to
step nearer the bed ana each awaited another
respiration, but II never came. There was alb
sUlulo Stiffness In the room and n hush OF cx
pcctant suspense, md no sound broke the 81.
icncc save the singing Of the birds In the
pines outside the cOttaSc and the measured
lhrohbing Of the engine that all night had
waited by the little mountain depot down the
slope.
"IT IS l. OVER
quietly spoke DR.. Douglas, and thero came
then heavily to tncll witness the realization
that Gen. Grant was dead. Then the doctors
withdrew, tho nurse closed tho cyclids ana
composed tho dead Generals head, after
which each OF The family group pressed To- the
bedside, one after another, aud touched their
lips upon the quiet face so lately stl.lcd.
DR.. HEwMAS's DISAPPOINTMENT.
Dr.. Shrady passed out on the piazza. and as
he did SO met DR.. EcWnIan Fastening up the
steps. '11e Is dead remarked the doctor
quietly. The fact Of his having been absent
from the side of the dying man and his fami.
~ ut The last moment was cause OF severe and
sad regret 10 The clergyman. who had vailed
all night ut the cottage. lie had been sum
montd f1om his breakfast Il moment too late
ana reached the cottage only In time TO min
lister to tho family solrnw and gaze upon tho
scarcely hushcd lips OF the dead General, to
whom Or. Newman's love had bound him in
such close ties and relations. Those who saw
aud knew and all who learned OF the clergy
mans absence from the dcath-bed, quickly
spoke their impulse of hearty sympathy.
Taking n Plaster Cast OF the Gencr.
ais Face After Death.
Twenty minutes after tho death Of Gen.
Grant, Karl Gerhard, tho Hartford sculptor,
| who has been making u study here OF tho
(.n,nruI N.nc cptn nputJ1 TO fine pOttnUc nt tlC
suggestion Of DR.. Newman, 10 mako Il plaster
mask Of the dead mans face. He was highly
successful.
Within half an hour after the Generals de.
cease The waiting engine ut the mountain dc.
pot WAS OH tho way TO Saratoga to bring All
undertaken to place tho remains on Ice to-day,
TO await the arrival Of the New York under
takcr who has been summoned and who Is
now on his way here. Details and orange.
ments touching the remains while they re-
main here and until they arrive in Now YORK
arc In charge OF Joseph W. prcxel anu W. j.
Arkcll.
At this writing the physicians are d~csirous
of having n ~poSt-inortcm examination, but
tho family are said to be nvcrsc, and That Is n
matter yet To be determined. a week ago tho
General is said to have intimatcd that If he
should die here during hot weather he would
prefer That his remains should remain hero
spare his family the sad and fati.ring jour
ncy in sullry weather. II is doubtful, how.
ever. IL this suggestion Is fully carried out. al
though II is not unlikely that the remains may
tirrly ut the disposal Of Col. Fred. Grant, to
whom Is left entire control of all arrange,
mcntS relative to his fathers remains.
The family of Gen. Grant have been con
atnnlly in receipt Of messages OF sympathy
sincc the announcement of The Generals
death was sent out this morning, among tho
first being illat from President ClcSC!al!d.
Guarding the uemn:Is.
Mov%T MCGREGOR, July CIV. j. Arkcll
will vacaic his fine cottage near Artists Lake
and the remains Of Gen. Grant Will be placed
there. the cottage 10 nc sealed anl guarded BY.
u platoon Of United states soldiers which VIII
be- scml by Gen. Hancock. The public will be
kept at distance, In accordance with tile Gc-
sire OF Ger. Giant expressed = week ago,
When illl arrangements are made ana tue
buria, place has been chosen the remains will
be aiken on o special train to Albany, thence
to New York and possibly TO Washington. de
pending upOl which city is chOscn'fO burial.
Arkcsl is ut the cottage tonight in charge oi
tic remains.