River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-02-19

W. W. w
GENERAL SHERMAN
prophecy was correct, for the great
warrior moved uneasily in less than a
minute and he made a move as if to lift
his eyelids, but for the first time his
strength had deserted him, and after a
feeble effort he sank YEARLY back upon
the pillow.
DR.. Alexander made two or three at
tempts to revive him, but did not sue
coed, and although he did not communi.
cate his belief to the members of the
family he expected the end and waited
for it to occur every moment.
lie was unconscious all this time and
had been since 6:20 o'clock in the morn
ing, when he looked at his brother, the
Senator, and his children, and address
ing the former, said: There, there,
John. it's pretty hard; comfort the chill
dren." These words, SO far as known,
were his last.
At / o'clock there was a movement on
the part of the dying warrior, as he
lay on his campbell in the center of
the large apartment where he has been
confined since last Sunday, and
noise came from his lips as
if he was trying to speak. The
physician bent over him, but the noise
had stopped. He said it was the mucus
on the lungs, and when il was heard a
few moments later the doctor said,
with his head on the grand old soldiers
breast: "The end is not far off :"
For nearly half an hour there was no
fIA ri IF fhn Axrir,qr
man. About 1:45, about five minutes
before the end, there was just the sug-
gestion of a movement of the Generals
arm and moan came from his lips.
The sound was like that of a man
attempting to speak, but changed to a
low gurgling noise. The physician in
the room reached over and watched
the patients face closely for moment.
Then he turned to the weeping relatives
clustered about the couch and said
quietly: 1.-THE General is dead
At the bedside were his son, z. T.
Sherman, his daughters, Rachel and
Lizzie, Lieutenant and Mrs. Fitch,
Lieutenant and Mrs. Thackara. Senator
John Sherman. DIR. Alexander and GEN
cral Thomas Ewing. The two daugh-
tiers remained kneeling, one at each
side of the bed, during the last hours of
the life of their father. No priest or
clergyman was present, neither were
any called. No priest has entered the
house since Father Taylor called.
The General did not suffer any pain
for the last two days. All night long
he lay in bed with his head high, but
toward morning he worked his head
lower, until at last he lay perfectly fiat.
Death came so quietly that those at the
bedside did not realize that the Gen
eral was dead until DIR. Alexander said:
"Ali is over" Death came with one
long sigh. Suffocatlon, due to the lungs
filing with mucus, was the cause.
Immediately after his death Generals
Howard and Slocun. who were on Gen.
eral Sherman's 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
military one. He said that he
did not care particularly for any mill
tary observances here in New York, but
that ne did want military burial in
st. Louis, which would be participated
in by his old comrades in arms. He also
requested that the funeral rites be not
in conformity with any particular form
of religion. He wanted soldiers
burial. The body is now lying en-
balmed in the room where the General
died-the back room on the second
floor. The features are natural, with
~ - Il
the right jaw and under both eyes.
The eyes are closed and the arms fold
ed across the breast.
Less than half an hour after the news
of the Generals death was flashed over
the country messages of coincidence
began to arrive. The messages were
received by Private Secretary Barrett
and Senator Sherman. Senator Sher-
man said that nearly 1900 dispatches
had been received. There was one from
President Harrison and one from each
of the United States Senators, from
members of the Cabinet. from General
Schofield and from other army-officers.
Other dispatches received were from
Chief-Justice Fuller, Henry NJ. Stanley,
Archbishop kenricx, of st. Louis.
Judge Gresham. General Joseph E.
Johnston, President Morton, JUS
tice Harlan, General Alger, James g.
Blaine and ex-President Hayes. In adj
ditiun to these there were kilograms
from the foreign Ministers and heads
of various State departments from all
over the country and Europe.
The outward mark of respect that
was shown in New York City upon the
announcement of the death of General
Sherman was the universal raising of
Gags at half-mast on all the public
buildings, the newspaper offices and on
many stores and private residences.
Dispatches from all parts of the coun-
try state that Governors and State and
local authorities generally have issued
proclamations and have taken other
Official recognition of the death
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS.
Preliminary arrangements for the
funeral have been made. The cortege
viii form at / o'clock on Thursday
next at the house on West Seventy-first
street, and move promptly at o'clock.
The funeral services proper will be held
In st. Louis. The funerel procession
in this city will be made up as follows:
The regular-army escort willie be under
the command of Colonel Loomis L.
Langdon, % the First Artillery. Ii will
consist of al the infantry battalions
located in the vicinity of New York
harbor. The artillery viii be made up
of the First Artillery United States
Army. Dilicnba Light Battery and