Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-12-13

LAST MOMENTS OF WASHING
TON.
Died Dec. IA, 1899 Saturday, 1920
p. ny, aged 81.
The following full and authentic az
count of the last illness of General
George Washington was written by
his faithful secretary, Colonel Tobias
Lear, on the Sunday morning follo.
ing his Death, which happened on the
previous nigar, 1920 o'clock, Decem-
ber IA, 1899. Mr.. Lear sent the very
interesting 6 particulars to his friend,
George Washington Barret. ESQ.,, Of
fredericksburg, and from there, the
letter was forwarded to MIR. Silas E
Burrows, OF New York city, who caused
/. 10 be published in one OF that city's
papers. Your contributor, d. T., is
the owner OF bound volume contain.
ng a verbatim of Mr.. Lsar's letter.
ANer lapse of three generations it
will be. no doubt, accepted as new
matter"
On Thursday, December IL, the
General rode out TO his farm at about
10 O'Clock, and did not return till past
5. Soop after he went out the weather
b; came very bad. rain, hail and snow
falling alternately with a cold wind.
When he came in / carried some let
ters for him to frank, intending to send
them to the posloffice. He franked the
letters, but said the weather was too
bad to send servant that evening. |
observed to him / was afraid he had
got wet-he sad no, his great coat had
kept him dry. His neck appeared to
De wet, snow hanging on his hair. He
came to dinner without changing hi
dress. In the evening he appeared to
be- as we'll as usual. A heavy
all of snow took place on Friday which
prevented the General from riding ou
as usual. He had taken cold, undoub :
edly from being so much exposed the
lsy before, and complained Of sore
throat--had q hoarseness which in.
creased in the evening but he male
light of it, as he would never take any
thing to carry off cold, always observ
ing "Lst it go as it came" In the even
;1g the papers having come from the
DostoHice, he sat in the room with Mrs.
Washington and myself reading them
till about nine o'clock, aud when he
met with anything which he thought
Interesting he would read it aloud. He
desired me to read to him the debetes
Of the Virginia Assembly on the election
of a Senator and Governor, which |
did. On his retiring to bed be appeared
60 be in perfect health, except the cold
which be considered as triiing-had
been remarkably cheerful all the even
ing.
About two or three o'clock on Satur.
day morning he awoke Mrs. Washing
ton. and informed her be was very ur :
we'll and had an ague. She observed
he could scarcely speak and breathed
with difficulty, aud she wished to get
nm and call servant, but the General
would not permit her lest she would
take cold. As soon as day appeared,
the woman Caroline went into che room
to make fire, and the girl desired that
Mr.. Rawlins, one of the overseers who
wa. used to blee ding the people might
be s.n for to bleed him before the doctor
could arrive. was sent. Mra. Wash
inqton was up and related to me- his
heinp taken i'll between 2 and as be-
fore Stated. I found him breathing with
d: :fficulty and hardly able to utter a
word intelligibly. l went out instantly :
and wrote line 10 Cfalk, ana sen1 IL
with all speed. Immediately l re-
turned to the generals chamber where
T found him in the same situation had
laft him. A mixture of molasses, Vic :
eoar and butter was prepared, tut DE
could not swallow drop; whenev=r ne
sttemnted ne was distressed, convui5ed
and almost sutfocated.
Mr.. Rawlins came in soon alter sun
rise and prepared to bleed bin. Wnen
,he M arm was ready, the general observs,,
INC Raglns appeared aeitated, saig
With difficulty, 'oDn't be afraid, ana
,f' % '@r the ipcision was made, he ooserv'
ID the oritiee was not large enough
Hnwever. tee blood ran pretty freely.
Mrs Washington not knowing that
hlaed,np was proper in the generals sit
nation, begged that much miene no1 o', oe
taken from bin and desired me TO STOP
j. When I was about to uotle Tue
s,r,nc the general pu, up bis mana 10
nrevent it. and as sot n IS he coulo spea
said ignore" las. +oo
- b,ood should he taken, 1t was
s'onned .nao after about half pint had been
Iaken Finding that no relief was ',a oI,
,sined from bleeding, and nothing couaa sa
ha sa. swallowed, I proposed bathing tne i
throat tn externally with cal Voli.lie1 .
.nnEa' .nh;ch was done, and piece OF flannel
was was't then en- put around the neck. His S,,,
,sas mas we're we're bathed in warm water bu'
lees "a W. relief. By Mrs. Washington 8
sa11 Esouest ST dispatched message tOrt ior Dt; :
Tsqueo psown at Port Tobacco. About
1tJ" o,cIook Doc or Craik arrived ald put
blster 6IuS Of csothsrides on the throat, ano
.ook u,,Ss more blood, and had some vinegar :; a,
snd and hot wafer set in tea pot ior ia ni"
to to- draw in the steam from the nozl e
" Te aIso had sage tea and vinegar NIX, I
"A al and used as gargle but wnen e ne
M Sa,d mack his hesd to let it run 9o"n u
II almost produced suffication. ,s Mnes
~ ,sa m;yture came out OF bis mouth
snme .nu nhlesm followed it, and be woula
sou s9upv pt pt to cough which the doctor en-,
aenrae'd a., ru. d but without effect. About II
co ,',aas Doctor Dick Was sent lor. Ooc'