Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-16
A Ma On SORROWS
The Country Bows Its Head Ger
Sherman's Bier,
LAST HOURS OF THE OLD WARRIOR
The Angel of Death Bears Him Hence
= in Peace, and the Struggle
of Life Is Over.

Long watch and Wait for the east ,
Earth'-The Old Soldier Unable T.
speak Word of Farewel-His Wisbe
as TO Burial Made Known Only Recent
iy-President Harrison's Feeling An
nouncement of the Event to Congress
Inc Interment to Take Place at ST
LOUIS with Military Honors-Remi in
iscences of the Generals Career.
NEW YORK, Feb. 16-"It is all over.
IL was Gen. Thomas Ewing who said
these words to a group of anxious and
waiting friends and reporters as he stood
oareheaded on the doorstep of Gen Sher
mans residence a few minutes before
O'Clock Saturday afternoon Within a
lew seconds the news had been flashed
over the wires to every part of the coun-
Try The old hero's long and stubborn
hight with death was at an end. and he
had been conquered at last. Death came
SLOWLY, but easily, and without pain TO the
veteran of so many bitter struggles. He
passed away at exactly l:5O o'clock All
the members of his immediate family were
gathered at his bedside at the time, ex
cept his eldest son, Rev. Thomas E.
Sherman, the Jesuit priest. who is now
on his way to the country from abroad on
the steamer Majestic.
Weary and Solemn Vigil.
The dying general had been unconscious
for several hours, and his fiutterfng pulse
was so feeble that on several occasions il
was almost impossible to tell whether he
was living or not His long struggle had
comepletely exhausted him and il was
only his remarkable vitality and will
power that enabled him to cling to life IN
long after all hope had been given up.
From time TO time during the morning
acme of the family would leave the room
but only to be summoned back hastily
when it was thought that the end was ap-
preaching 1t was in those moments that
he chung to the thread of life that re
manned for nearly five hours after he be-
came completely unconscious. After II
o'clock it was expected that every moment
would bring the end, and kilograms were
prepared to send TO all his friends and the
officers of the government at Washington
City as soon as dissolution occurred.
Sending the News Abroad.
At the final moment there was no an
preciable change in the appearance of the
sufferer. He had been lying as one dead
for several hours. DR.. Alexander, who
had his hand on the generals breast-for
he could not detect the heart beats in his
pulse-was watching his face intently. He
looked up quietly at just ten minutes to
2 and told the grief-stricken family that
his patient had passed away. Gen. Ewing
Immediately left the room and went down
&c the door to announce the fact to the
representatives of the newspapers. who
had been watching the house anxiously
for four days. A few minutes after this
Secretary Barrett went to the Telegram h
Office on Columbus avenue with a large
batch of dispatches which were addressed
TO President Harrison, each of the mem.
bers of his cabinet and TO relatives and
friends of the family at Washing ton CITY
and elsewhere.
A Peaceful Passing Away.
The generals death was absolutely
painless. 1t was at a. m. SATURDAY. that
a great change took place in his condition
"a change that betokened that all the
prayers which had gone up over the land
that his life might be spared were in vain.
He was feverish and his breathing was
labored and rapid. The doctors were
hurriedly called and during the morning
had several consultations, but remedy
after remedy failed of effect. Indeed, they
were only tried on the principle that while
there is life there is hope. The glands of
the throat were very much swollen and
the accumulation of mucus was so great
that the patient was unable to throw it off
by reason of his declining strength, and it
was this gradual filling up of the lungs
that finally brought the end. Gen. Sher-
man had not spoken a word from Friday
morning until he died, although he was
conscious apparently part of the time and
recognized those about him, vainly trying
to speak to them. His fingers were lev
cold hours before death and the GOODNESS
gradually extended to his hands and arms
and body.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE BURIAL.
The Old Hero's Wishes in This Regard
Military Funeral
Immediately after Gen Sherman's death
Gen. Howard and Gen SlOcum, who
were on the generals staff, were sent for.
Some two weeks ago the general made
known his wishes as to his burial He
particularly requested that his body
should not lie in state anywhere He also
requested that the funeral be a strictly mil
itary one. He said that he did not care
particularly for any military observance:
here in New York, but that he did want
a military burial in St. Louis, which
would be participated in by his old com
panions in arms. He also requested that
the funeral rites be not in conformity will
any particular form of religion. He vans
ed soldiers burial.
Ats o'clock Saturday evening the de
tail of soldiers who are to guard the re
remains arrived. The detail consisted o
a corporal, two sergeants and six privatei
from Battery NJ, First United States artil
L., etationad at Governor island TIL,