The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-08-07
Deaths Shadows Settle Over the
Mountain Cottage and the
Victim Shrinks Not.
His Sorrowing Family all at His
Bedside When the Grim Vis-
itOr Appears.
Conscious of His Surroundings
and Free From Pain He Calm
~ Passes Away.
The President, Governors, and
Other High Officials Pay Him
Tributes.

and ORA Sands, Shrady and Douglas The
general maintained his consciousness to the
very last A few minute before 8 o'clock
ORA Douglas. Shrady and Sands stood on the
cottage veranda, converting on the condition
OF Gen. Grant, and discussing the probabiii-
ties OF his death and the limit OF life left the
sick man. Mrs. Sartoris and ~Stenographer
Dawson were converting q little distance
away, when Henry, the nurse, stepped hastily
upon the piazza and spoke quietly to tho
physicianA He told them he thought the
genersl was very near to death The med
ical men hastily entered the room where the
tdck 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 Mra
Grant, Mr.. Jesse Grant and wife, U. 4. Grant.
Jr., and wife and Mrs Col. Grant were
quickly beside the doctors at the sick mans
cot, and Mrs. sartoris and Mr.. Dawson bad
followed the doctors In from the piazza, and
the entire family was present
AT BEDSIDE.
Col. Grant seated himself Mt the head of
the bed with his left arm resting upon the
pillow above the head Of the general, who
was breathing rapidly, and with slightly
Gasping respirationA Mrs. Grant, calm, but
with intense agitation bravely suppressed,
took q seat close by the bedside. She leaned
slightly upon the colonel, resting upon her
right elbow, and gazed, with tear stained
eyes, into the generals face. She found
there, however, no oxen of recognition, for
the sick man was peacefully and pninlessly
passing into another life. Mrs Sartoris came
behind her mother, and leaning over her
shoulder, she witnessed the close of q life in
which she had constituted a strong element
of pride. Directly behind Mrs. Grant and
Mrs. Sartoris, and a little distance removed,
stood doctors Douglas, Shrady aud Sands
ns spectators of a closing life their
Efforts and counsel had SO prolonged
On the opposite side of the bed from his
mother and directly before her stood Jesse
Grant and U. s. Grant, Jr.. and near the cor
ner of the cot, on the came side as Jesse and
near to each, was N. E Dawson, the generals
stenographer and confidential secretary. AT
the foot of the bed, and gazing directly down
into the generals 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 their patient, their master. Dr.. Newman
had repaired to the hotel for breakfast and
was not present The generals little grand
children, o.. s. Grant, Jr., and Nellie, were
sleeping the sleep Of childhood in the
nursery room above. Otherwise the en-
tire family and household were gath
cred at the bedside of the dying man.
SUMMONED JUST IN TINE.
The members Of the group had been sum-
moned not o moment sooner than was
prudent The doctors noted, on entering
the room and pressing to the bedside, that
already the purplish tinge which was one of
natures signals of hnal dissolution had
settled beneath the finger nails. III hand
that DR.. Douglas lifted was fast growing
colder than it had been through the night.
The pulse had UTTERED beyond the point
where the physician could distinguish 1t
from the pulse beat in his own finger tips.
The respiration was very rapid and was q
succession Of shallow painting inhalations,
but toward the close they became less labored
and almost noiseless. This fact was in its
result a comfort to the watchers by the bed
side to whom was spared the scene of IN
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 long
ing to prevent the event SO near would rise
within her, Mrs. Cram pressed both his
hands ana leaning forward tenderly kissed
the face of the sinking man. Col. Fred
Grant sa silently, but with evident feeling,
though his bearing was that of n soldierly
son at the deathbed 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
befitted the dignity of Il life such as was clos
ing before them. The morning had passed
i've minutes beyond 8 O'clock and there was
not one of
sTRAISED AND WAITING WATCHERS
but who could mark the nearness of the life
tide to its final ebbing. DR.. Douglas noted
the nearness of the supreme moment and
quietly approached the bedside and bent
above it, and while he did so the sorrow of
the ~gray-haired physician seemed closely
allied with that of the family. DR.. Shrady
also drew near. 1t was seven minutes after
8 O'Clock and the eyes of the general We're
closing. His breathing grew more hushed
as the last functions OF the heart and lungs
We're hastened to the closing of the eX-presi-
dents life. Apeaceful expression seemed to
be deepening in the firm and strong-lined
face, and it was reflected as a closing com
fort in the sad hearts that beat quickly under
the stress of loving suspense. Aminute more
passed and was closing as the general drewa
N.Y. " 80 &H = SO va
like that of one relieved OF long and anxious
tension. TIL members of the group were
impelled each to step nearer the bed, and
each waited to note The next respiration,
Int it did not come then; it never came.
There was absolute stiffness In the room
and a hush of expectant surprise. No sound
broke the silence save the singing of birds in
the pines outside the cottage n the meas
ured breaking of the engine that all night
had awaited by the little mountain depot
down the slope.
THE END OF ALL
at is all over quietly spoke Dr.. Doug
las, and then came heavily to each witness
the realization that Gen. Grant was dead.
Then the doctors withdrew; the nurse
closed the eyslids and composed the dead
generals head, after which each of the FAM
lily group pressed to the bedside one after
the other and touched their lips upon the
face SO lately stilled. DR.. Shrady passed
out upon the piazza, and as he did so he met
DR.. Newman fastening up the steps. aHe is
Dead remarked Dr.. Shrady quietly. The
fact of having been absent from the side of
the dying mar and his family at the last
was a cause of sorrow and regret to the cler-
gyman, who had awaited all night at the
cottage. He had been summoned from his
breakfast a moment too late, and reached
the cottage only in time to minister to the
family sorrow and gaze upon the scarcely
hushed lips Of the general, to whom DR..
Newnan's love had bound him in such close
relations
LOOKING BACK.
Soon after Drs. Douglass and shrady left
the death bed they conyersed feellngly Of