The San Francisco call., 1896-06-19

at the Gilsey House, New York, yester-
day morning at 1880 o'clock. During his
last days, while be lay unconscious. his
life gradually passing away, he was at
tended by his son, Harry Dimond,
and one of his old family physicians.
General Dimond had been failing in
health for years. and some months ago
his constitution began to weaken percep-
tibly, so on the advice of his physicians he
surrendered active business employment
at his Office. He had two or three sinking
spells of late, and members of his family
were panied by premature newspaper arti-
cles to the effect that he was dying.
When General Dimond left San Fran
cisco early in June expecting to sail from
New York to Europe, June 13, he ap-
peared to be able TO stand the journey
without distress. He was accompanied
by his son, Harry Dimond. The disease.
an ailment of the kidneys, akin to
Bright's disease, assumed a dangerous
phase Immediately after his arrival in
New York, and it was soon plain that he
could not undergo the voyage across the
Atlantic. He had survived several at
tacks which threatened to sever the thread
of life and displayed such wonderful re-
cuperative energy that his son, Edwin R..
Dimond, and his business associates,
Messrs. Chesebrough, Sewell and Clarke,
entertained hopes for several days that the
general would again rally.
William Henry Dimond was born in
Honolulu, Noyem ber IL, 1888, and was
therefore in his 58th year. His father, a
man of New England birth, went to Ha-
waii as a missionary. General Dimond' s
ancestors, dating back to his great, great
grandfather, were New England people,
who participated in the French and Indian
wars and valiantly fought in the
Revolutionary war for American inde-
pendence. His great-grandfather, Jesse
Dimond. served in the war of 1925,
fighting against the British.
When the great civil war of 1861 came
in the United States, William Henry Di-
mond was living in hawaii. He espoused
the cause of the Union and rendered his
services to President Lincoln, offering to
bring 100 men with him. AT that particu-
lar time England was seeking pretext to
quarrel with the United States, SO Secre-
tary Seward advised against the accept
ance OF volunteers recruited on foreign
shore, and Dimond's offer was kindly de-
clined by President Lincoln.
AS the war progressed young Dimond
resolved to enter the contest himself, SO
he travelled 1000 miles from Honolulu to
washington and asked TO be assigned 10
duty. He was commissioned captain and
ordered for duty on the staff of Major
Generel Rufus Saxton, then commanding
the Federal force with headquarters at
Beaufort, s. G. After the surrender OF
Lee and Johnston Captain Dimond re-
signed, declining to accept commission
in the reg ular army.
After the war he made tour of Europe
and then resumed his business career in
Honolulu. In 1867 he came to San Fran
cisco, establishing business connections
with the firm of Williams, Blanchard &
Co. In 1880, on the retirement OF Mr..
Blanchard, the firm became Williams,
Dimond & Co.
In 1880 he was appointed lieutenant
colonel on the staff of Governor George G..
Perkins, and on December IA, 1881 he was
commissioned brigadier-general, Second
Brigade, N. G. c., succeeding General
John McComb, who had been appointed
warden OF the Folsom Prison. He was re-
appointed brigadier-general by Governor
Bartlett, and appointed major-general of
the division by Governor Waterman on
September %, 1887. He was reappointed
major-general by Governor Markham, and
held that rank at the time OF his death,
as his resignation, rendered short time