Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-07-30
DEATH OF GENERAL GRANT.
Scenes Attending the Closing Hours Of the Ma.
lions Chleftain.

HOhh entertain.
The condition of General Grant on
Tuesday evening, July Dist, was such
that 1T was deemed prudent to summon
all absent members of the family, and
near friends who would wish to be at
his bedside during his last moments.
All were gathered, accordingly, at Mt.
McGregor on Wednesday awaiting the
last sad hour. ready to do anything to
prolong the life so precious to them even
for moment. Wednesday night the
physicians believed the patient might
reach the extreme ebb of his strength Mt
l O'Clock the following morning. and
the approach of that hour was antici-
pated with intense anxiety at the cot
tage. The hours of the night passed,
however. and morning found the gem
eral retaining feeble hold upon life
A few minutes before s o'clock, Drs.
Douglas, Shrady and Sands stood on the
cottage veranda conversing on the con-
dition of Gen. Grant, aud discussing
the probabilities of his death and the
limit of life left the sick man. Mrs.
Sartoris and Stenographer Dawson
were conversing 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 scanning the patients face, DR..
Douglas ordered the family to be sum-
moned to his bedside
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 purplish tinge,
which is one of NATURES signals of final
dissolution, had settled beneath the fin
ger-nails. The hand that DIR. Douglas
lifted was fast growing colder than it
had been during 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
q succession of shallow, painting inhala-
tons; but happily the approaching end
was becoming clear of the rafting full
ness of the throat and lungs. As the
respiration grew quicker and more rap
i'd at the close, it also became less la
bored and almost noiseless. This fact
was In its results comfort to the watch
ers by the bedside, to whom was spared
the scene of an agonizing or other than
a peaceful death. The wife almost con-
stantly stroked the face, forehead and
hands of the dying general, and, at
tunes, as the passionate longing to pre-
vent the event so near would Use within
her, Mrs. Grant pressed both his hands,
and leaning forward, tenderly kissed
the face of the sinking man. Col. Fred
Grant sat silently, but with evident
feeling. through his bearing was that of
sodierly son at the death bed of
hero father. u. S. Grant, Jr., was
deeply moved, but Jesse bore the scene
steadily, and the ladies, while watching
with wet cheeks, were as silent as be-
fitted the dignity of life such as was
closing before them. The morning had
passed five minutes beyond O'Clock,
and there was not one of the strained
and waiting watchers but who could
mark the nearness of the life to its final
ebbing.
DIR. Douglas noted the nearness of the
supreme moment. and quietly APP
preached 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.. Shra-
dy also drew near. 1t was seven min
utes after o'cleck, and the ewes of the
general were closing. His breathing
grew more hushed as the last functions
of the heart and lungs were fastened to
the closing of the ex-president's life. A
peaceful expression seemed to be deep
enlng IN the firm aud strong lined face,
and it was reflected as closing comfort
in the sad hearts that beat quickly under
the stress OF loving suspense. A minute
more passed. and was closing, as the
general drew a deeper breath. There
was an exhaltation like that of one re-
lieyed of long and anxious tension. The
members OF the group were impelled
each step nearer the bed, and each
waited to note the next respiration; bat
IL did not come then-it never came.
There was absolute stiffness in the room
and hush of expectant suspense. No
sound broke the silence save the sing
i"S Va oI no iu tiic plieS OuLSlue Inc cot
tage, and the measured throbbing of
the engine that all night had waited by
the little mountain depot down the
slope. at is all over" quietly spoke
DIR. Douglas, and there came then heav-
lily to each witness the realization that
General Grant was dead.
We will not further intrude upon the
scene as the family group pressed to the
bedside. Quietude prevailed the noun
tain when it was announced that Gen.
Grant had ceased his long struggle.
This feeling, however. gave place later
to sense of relief that the struggle was
ended, and that the tired mind and BODY
were at rest While there was no heart
that warmed not in sympathy towards
the generals family, yet there was a
strong feeling of gratitude that the man
who suffered so bravely and so patiently
had earned the quiet of long rest.
MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY.
Thousands of messages were received
from all parts of the world CONVEYING