Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-03-27
A WARRIORS EASY DEATH.
Gen. Crook Dies of Heart Disease in
a Chicago Hotel.
After a Life of Usefulness Death
Claims Its Own.
Sketch of the Major-General's Event
full Career.

this morning, of heart disease. There
had not been the slightest warning that
Gen. Crook was not perfectly we'll He
was at army headquarters all day yester-
day, and last night, at his hotel, appeared
to be in his usual good health. He got up
as usual this morning and while dressing
suddenly said to his wife, L can't
breathe. Mrs. Crook helped him to a
sofa, and doctor was at once summoned.
but before he could reach the room Gen.
Crook was dead
John S. Drake, proprietor of the Grand
Pacific hotel, who was an intimate friend
of Gen. Crook, made the following state
ment: Zen. Crook arose shortly before
Z O'Clock this morning, apparently in his
usual health, and in accordance with his
custom began exercising with the weights
and pulleys connected with an apparatus
for the purpose, which he kept in his
room. After exercising for a few minutes
he stopped. He went and lay down upon
a lounge, saying that he felt a difficulty in
breathing A few moments later he called
out to his wife, oh Mary, Mmy, l
need some help; | can't get my
breath. Assistance was at once sum-
moned, and DIR. Hurlburt, who lives near
by, was sent for Everything that could
be done was done, but he failed to rally
and died at 7:15. Mrs Crook and her
sister, Mrs. Reid, were the only members
of the family present at his bedside when
he passed away. He had no child
rem. | suppose his death resulted from an
affection of the heart. For some weeks,
in fact ever since he returned from his last
trip to the northwest, he has been COM
planning of a bearing down sensation in
the neighborhood of the heart
DR.. Y. L. Hurlbut, the physician who
was summoned, said: Il arrived at Gen.
Crooks bedside only four or five minutes
before death supervened. He was suffer-
ing from irregular action of the heart, and
his lungs or chest seemed to be filed up.
We did all we could for him in the way of
hot applications with sinatpisms, hot bags
to his feet, ETC., but he was inarticulo
mortis when | arrived, and died without
rallying. 1t appeared to be a case of heart
failure, but | could notsbe positive about
that, as | had never been called to attend
him before. This may have been some
stomachic complication
Maj. Randall, of Gen. Crooks staff,
said: 1--WE have noticed for some time
that Gen. Crook was not in his usual
health. He was a man who never COM
planned, and said very little about his suf-
ferings. At the theater last night | saw
that he was not feeling at all well, and
asked him if he were in pain. He said
No, but think that was the beginning
of the end. TIE arrangements for the
funeral have not yet been made. Gen.
Schofeld has been telegraphed to in re-
gard to the matter, and his wishes will be
considered. The burial will probably
take place at Oakland Md, the home of
his wife's people, though possibly it may
be thought best to inter the remains in
Arlington National Cemetery at Wash
ington. Gen. Crook was 81 years old in
September last.
In accordance with the wishes of Mrs
Crook the funeral services will be held
Sunday afternoon. The remains will then
be put ON a special car and leave for Oak
land, Maryland in the afternoon. Gen.
Crooks staff officers and a small guard of
regular soldiers will attend
Out OF respect for the memory of Gen.
Crook the Steele court-martial was today
adjourned until Monday.
Gen. Crook was born in Ohio, and en-
tered the United States military academy
on July |, 194S, and graduated four years
later. He was appointed a second Geuten-
ant of the Fourth infantry on July 7, 1858,
and his early service was in New York,
when, a little later on, he was ordered to
California, where he was soon promoted to
be first lieutenant In 1857 he was
placed in command of the Pitt River ex-
petition, and was engaged In skirmishes
with the Indians at various points in the
state, and in a sharp encounter was
wounded with an arrow In 1857. He was
made captain of the Fourth infantry in
1861, and was engaged in operations
through West Virginia. In the fall of
1861 he was made colonel of
the Thirty-sixth Ohio volunteers
and in command of the Third
Provisional brigade. In the follow
ing year he was brevetted major in the
regular army for gallant and meritorious
services at the battle of Lewisburg, Va.
where he was wounded. He served in the
Northern Virginia and Maryland cam
paigns in the succeeding year, and on
Sept. 7, 1862, was made brigadier gen.
eral of volunteers. He was in the battle
of South Mountain and Antietum, and
was brevetted lieutenant-colonel in the
regular army for gallant and meritorious
services in the latter. He was in COM
mand of Independent Division at Garth
age, Tenn, and was brevetted colonel in
the regular army for gallant and meri-
torious services in the battle of
Pennington. He was again brevetted
in 1864, this time as major-gener-
al of volunteers, for his distinguished SER
vices in West Virginia. He was in COM
mand of the Department of West Virginia
when he was captured, was made brevet
brigadier- general of the regular army for
gallant and meritorious services in the
battle of Fishers Hill. In 1866 he was
mustered out of the volunteer service, and
In the same year was on the board at
Washington City to examine rifle tactics.
He was made major, Third 1nfanty, in
the regular army in July, 1866, and lieu
tenant colonel of the Twenty-third Infantry
during the same month. In the following
year he was transferred to the territory of
Idaho, and commanded the District
of Owyhee. Served in the District of the
Lakes in 1868; in the Department of the
Columbia from 1868 to 1870; in the de-
partment of Arizona in 1871; made brig
adier-generaI In 1873; was highly COM
mended in orders from the Division of the
Pacific and the Department of the Platte;
commanded in the Big Horn expedition in
1876; commanded the Department of the
Platte, and in 1882 was transferred to the
command of the Department of Arizona
from which he was relieved by Gen. Miles,
He was next commanding general of the
Department of the Platte In 1888 he sue
ceeded Gen. Terry in command of the De-
partment Of the Missouri, with head
quarters IN Chicago, with the rank of
major-general.
1t was as an Indian fighter that Gen.
Crook won his great name. In 1872 when
assigned to the Arizona District to auell