Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-08-10
DEATH OF SHERIDAN
Heart Failure the Final Cause Of
His Demise.
Ills Summons Comes Suddenly at
1920 Z. NJ.


issued shortly before II o'clock this evening
stating that Gen. Sheridan had diel suddenly
at 1920 p. m., of hoart failure. 1t was
signed by Robert NJ. ORelly and Washing
Matthew'S his attending physicians.
So ends the story of a three months strug-
gle for life. All through today Gen. Sheri-
dan had been in unusually good spirits, laugh
ing and chul!in,; with Lis doctors and men,
bors of the family, and seemingly in better
spirits than for several days. His medical
attendants were also good natured, and spent
portion of the day in calling at several
cottages. At 7.30 DIR. Matthews said the
general was doing so we'll that there would
probably be no bulletins is ued for week.
After dinner at the hotel, Mrs. Sheridan
carried down to the general large slice Of
roast beef which he ate with apparent relish.
He dozed off bit during the afternoon, but
awoke to eat supper and then went to sleep
again.
The unfavorable symptoms which were ex-
hibited made their appearance so unexpect-
edly, and were so rapid in developme Mt, that
it was but a chance that the children were
aroused in time to take the last look at their
dying father. Mrs Sheridan and the nurses
were ON their Bonded knees in prayer as the
spirit departed. Mrs Col. Kellogg, a dear
friend of the family, arrived just a moment
alter the last breath was drawn, and assisted
Mrs. Sheridan to her feet, when she C osed
the eyes of the dead hero. All was ended
The hours of suffering which commenced
three months ago, brought Gen. Sheridan to
deaths door at Washington and at Delaware
breakwater, and then diminished in duration
to such an extent as to battle and deceive
even the eminent medical skill In constant
attendance upon the patient, have suddenly
ended.
With the general at the deathbed were
Mrs Sheridan, Mary, Louise, Irene and
Philip, the children, Colonel Sheridan, his
brother. with his wife, Sisters Justinia and
Urban, who have faithfully and ten
derby nursed the hero from the be-
ginning to the end, and Drs. O'Reilly and
Matthew'S
The plaintive tolling of the fog bell on the
rocks just at the entrance to Buzzard Bay
falling on the stiffness of midnight uncon-
sciously expresses the grief which has over
taken his immediate summer friends of the
past and present season. Not all of them are
aware of the calamity, so suddenly did it
occur. But dayhreak will be sad awaken
ing. Several pleasure parties arranged for
the morrow, at which some of the family
We're to attend, will be turned into scenes of
mourning and distress.
Philip Henry Sheridan was born In Som
erset, Perry county, o., in 1881. There has
been much contention and argument through
the punlic press and individually over this
point, but the most reliable data tends to
prove this staten mt as true. For over 20
years this question of his nativity has arisen
time and time again. On one hand it
has been asserted, as it was of Andrew
Jackson and General Arthur, that he
was born in Ireland, or on the sea
while his parents were coming to this
country as emigrants, while the military
records had him born in Massachusetts,,
where his family had lived before going to
Ohio. The general himself not long ago said
that he was born in Ohio 81 years ago last
March. Somerset, Perry county, is only 10
miles from the birthplace of William Te-
cumseh Sherman. Sheridaus father and
mother were very poor indeed, but his early
man who was familiar with Sheridan's boy
hood and parentage details it as follows:
HE came from as good stock as ever came
over in the steerage. Phil was a little bit of
a fellow, but guess he whipped every fight
ing lad in Somerset. He became in early
life most daring horseback rider. His
first experience as a cavalryman was on the
back of an ugly beast. without strap about
him. The brute started to run at terrible
pace, and did not stop until he had reached
a tavern 10 miles distant. There he ran into
a stable she'd Phil hung on like an Indian
and did not seem to be in the least frightened.
When asked how he had managed to stick,
his reply was characteristics I'D been told
stuck my knees In his Sides Nobody had
ever before succeeded in riding the beast
After Phil's school days were over, as he
supposed, he became a hardware clerk in
the village. He seemed pretty we'll
satisfied with his lot, until one day he
read Of a vacancy at West Point, which
half the fathers in the district were begging
Congressman General Richie to fill with
their boys. Phil sat right down and wrote
General Ritchie a straightforward ap-
plication without anybody's indcrse-
ment or advice. Ritchie knew who the
Sheridans were, the Irish were be-
coming quite numerous among his con-
stltuents, and he thought it would be n happy
idea to appoint one of the race to the best
military school in the world. The appoint
ment was quickly made and widely an
nounced. Phil went to West Point in 1S4S,
at the age of II years. All that is known
about him while there is that he was put
back year for whipping higher classman,
and so it took him five years to graduate,
which he did in 1853