The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-06-02
GENERAL GRANTS LAST DAYS.
General dSau's Account Of Scene.
and Conversations at the Bedside,

of the last davs of General Grant, in thu
Century. we GEote the following: "OI
Easter Sunday he seemed little easier
though there was still no hope. I wen
into his room and found him able to lis
ten and even to utter few words with
out much effort. l had been greatly
struck by the universal watching of {
nation, almost of world, at his bedside,
and especially by the sympathy from
former rivals and political and even per
sonal adversaries; and l recounted to
him instances of this magnanimous for.
getfulness of old-time enmities. When
| told him of the utterances Of General
Rosecrans and Jefferson Davis he re-
piled: 4 am very glad to hear this.
would much rather have their good will
than their il!-will. would rather have
the goodwill of any man than his i'll
will
con the Sd of April several newspa.
pers which had followed General Grant
with a persistent animosity down to the
very beginning of his illness, recalled in
touching and even eloquent words that
twenty years before he had captured
Richmond on that day. I told this to
my chief, for 1 had been with him on
that other Cd of April. I said the nation
was looking on now, watching his battle
as it did then, and that his fight with
disease was as good one as that he had
made with the rebels twenty years be-
fore. sAh, he answered, twenty years
ago had mere to say. was in command
then 'But even then, Ireplied, it took
year to win perhaps you may win still. He
frightened up at this and told the physi-
clans the story of General ingalls, dog.
Ingalls, was the chief quartermaster OF
the armies operating against Richmond,
and had been "a classmatc with General
Grant at West Point; they were always
on intimate terms. He had peculiar
dog that often came about the camp
fire at headquarters. One day during
the long siege General Grant said, In
calls, do Won mean to take that dog into
Richmond2' Il think SHALL, said In.
gals; she belongs to long-lived breed.
"After this DR.. Shrady sat down to
write the bulletin for the morning.
"'What shall say, generalH he asked.
How shall I tell them you arc this morn
ingG'
H'More comfortable, replied the gen.
eral. 80. - ,.
"And the doctor wrote line about
the physical condition of his patient,
and lead it to General Grant, who ap.
proved. I was still greatly impressed
by the public emotion, and interrupted
"'General, why not say something
about the sympathy of all the world,
something to thank the peopleP.
"Yes,' he exclaimed willingly, and
dictated these words: 4 am very much
touched and grateful for the sympathy
and interest manifested in Inc by my
many friends, and by-those who have
not hitherto been regarded as friends.
"Toward the last he stammcred and
hesitated, evidently unwilling al this
moment to call anyone an enemy; and
finally made use of the circum!ocution,
Chose who have not hitherto been re-
garded as friends.
CDR. Shrady wrote out the bulletin,
and read it aloud, when the general
added: II desire the goodwill OF all,
whether heretofore friends or not
~ urged the doctor to stop just there,
to say nothing about physical details,
but give this Easter message from Cen
oral Grant to the world in his own
language. Mrs. Grant, however. wished
the word 'prayerful to be used before
sympathy, and General Grant consented
to the change. ''
"Another morning, only day or two
after his improvement began, he said to
me, evidently with purpose, that it
was strange how undisturbed man
could be when so near death. He sup
posed he had been as near the other
world as one could be and survive. His
feeling had been at the time that every
moment might be his last; but he had
not suffered one particle of apprehcn-
sion, or fear, or even discomposure. He
evidently wished me to know this, for
we had once or twice in the winter
talked of religious beliefs. Yet he
said, sat such time it hurt, no one to
have lived q good life He had been un-
distul bed-he repeated this emphatical-
ly-but he believed any one would be
more comfortable at such moment with
q conscience that could not reproach
him. A good life would certainly con-
tribute to composure at the end.
"The 9th of April came, the anniver-
sary of Appomatlox, and recovery was
still not assured. One of the sons had q
presentiment that his father would not
survive that day, but it would have been
hard to have General Grant surrender on
the anniversary Of his greatest victory.
Then came anothc~ jubilee. His birth
day was the 27th of April, and by this
time he was so far restored as to be able
to join the family for while at dinner.
There were sixty-three lighted candles
on the table to celebrate the siyty-three
years, which monlh before no one had
hoped would ever be completed, and the
house was crowded with flowers. the
gifts of thankful friends. By the 1st of
May he was so we'll that he sent for q
stcnographer and began to dictate mat
ter for his book.
The secret of this partial recovery is
not far to find. 1t was after the great
expression of public sympathy that
General Grant began to improve, after
his place in the affections of the people
was restored or resumed that his whole
nature, moral and physical, became in
spired and renovated. Fol this it was
almost worth while to have suffered-to
have the world recognize his sensitive
ness, and to receive himself its apprecia-
tion in return. Few men indeed have
known in advance so nearly the verdict
of posthumous fame. No death bed
WAS ever so illumined by the light of
universal affection and admiration"