The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-08-09
DEATH OF SHERIDAN
Heart Failure the Final Cause of
His Demise.
Ills Summons Comes Suddenly at
1920 p. M.

NoNQuIrr, Mass, Aug. 5.-A bulletin WINS
issued shortly before II o'clock this evening
stating that Gen. Sheridan had diei suddenly
at 10,20p M, of heart failure. 1t was
signed by Robert M. O'Reilly and Washing
Matthews, his attending physicians.
So ends the story of three months strug-
gle for life. All through today Gen. Sheri.
dan had been in unusually good spirits, laugh
ing and chatting with bis 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 73O DR.. Matthews said the
general was doing so we'll that there would
probably be no bulletins is ued for week.
After dinner at tho 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 cat supper and then went to sleep
again.
Tho unfavorable symptoms which were ex-
hibited made their appearance so unexpect-
edly, and were so rapid in development, that
it was but n 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, dear
friend of the family, arrived just moment
after 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 tho patient, have suddenly
ended.
With the general at the deatbbed 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
dcrly nursed the hero from the be-
ginning to the end, and Drs. O'Reilly and
Matthews.
The plaintive tolling of the fog bell on the
rocks just at the entrance to Buzzards 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
ut davhreak viii he % sad awaken n
So ,ral pleasure parties arranged for
me morrow, at which some OF the family |
were 70 attend, will be turned into scenes Of |
mourning and distress.
Philip Henry Sheridan was born in Som
,rset, Perry county, o., in 1881. There has
1een much contention and argument through
ne punllc press and individually over this
point, but the most reliable data tends to J
prove this statement as true. For over 20 I
iears this question of his nativity has arisen
ime and time again. On one hand it
las been asserted, as it was of Andrew
Jackson and General Arthur, that he
vas born in Ireland, or on the sea
While his parents were coming to this
country as emigrants, while the military
ecords had him born in Massachusetts
s : his family had lived before going to
ohio. The general himself not long ago said
nat ne was born in Ohio 81 years ago last
March: Somerset, Perry county, Is only ~
niles from the birthplace of William Te-
umseh Sherman. Sheridan's father and
mother were very poor indeed, but his early
surroundings were by no means squalid. A
nan who was familiar with Sheridan's soy-
lood and parentage details it as follows:
lie came from as good stock as ever came
ver In the Storage. Phil was a little bit of
fellow, but guess he whipped every fight
ny lad IN Somerset. He became in early
lie a most daring horseback rider. His
rst experience as a cavalryman was on tho
ack OF an ugly beast, without strap about
I'm. The brute started to run at a terrible
ace, and did not stop until he had reached
tavern 1Gmies distant. There he ran into
stable shed. Phil hung on like an Indian
ma DID not seem to be In the least frightened.
y hen asked how he had managed to stick.
us reply was characteristics: "I'd been told
ow to do it. l just Rugged his neck and
tuck my knees in his sides. Nobody had
YER before succeeded in riding the beast.
After PhiPs school days were over, as he
opposed, he became a hardware clerk in
1e village. He seemed pretty we'll
atlsfied with his lot, until one day he
cad OF vacancy at West Point, which
alt the fathers in the district were begging
General Richie to fill with
leir boys Phil sat right down and wrote
lication without anybodvs jndorse-
ent. or advice. Richie knew who the
heridans were, the Irish were be-
oming quite numerous among his con-
ituents, and he thought it would be happy
lea to appoint one of the race to the best
Military school in the world. The appoint
tent was quickly made and widely an
ounced. Phil went to West Point in 1913,
the age Of II years. All that is known
oout him while there is that be was put
ack year for whipping higher classman,
al SO 1t took him five years to graduate,