The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10
WASHINGTON'SLAST HOURS.
ACCOUNTS or MS DEATH JUST OWE
HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
Suspicious Both Then and Now That HIS
Death Was Caused ny Excessive Bleed
ing Ordered by His Physicians-His Fun
ernI and the Honors Paid to His Memory.

WAsuINCToN dec. Elaborate prepara
tons have been made for the observance at Noun,
Vernon Of the one hundrcdih anniversary oi
washington's drath, and appropriate services
will probably he held on Dec. "a throughout inc
country
II 1ns with n consciousness oi duty done nnu
,es, we'll earned TINT George Washington retired
from the Presidency in 1891 lie was then 90
wears Of age and after busy life. the greater
par, Of which had been spent in the service OF his
state and country. he looked forward with great
satisfaction to passing the balance OF his days In
the enjoyment Of domestic happiness and the pur-
suits Of agriculture in his quiet home nj Mount
Vernon His successor John adams, writing his
wife an account Of the Inauguration ceremonies
s,ys "A solemn scene II was indeed, and IL was
made affecting to by the presence Of the General
whose cp,In,enancc was severe and uncloudcd
~ tho day Methought heard him sny-Ay,
] am fairly out and you hrc fairly in Sc" which
of us will be the happiest" And the day after
his arrival Mt Mount vernon Nellie tusts wrote
her friend Mrs Olcott Grandfather is very
well aud much pleased with being once more
Farmer Washington. There was great deal
10 H. done for Mount Vernon had been sadly
neglected during the absence Of the master. And
the farmer set to work with the same will and
capacity to serve his own interests that the Cen.
eral had displayed in the service Of his country.
Houses were to he repaired, fences rebuilt. farms
10 h. rescued from weeds and overgrowth, four
thousand acres to he put in order While his
vigorous constitution and temperate habits gave
promiss Of hale old age he docs not sem 20 have
anticipated a very long life but hoped tn enjoy
the time allotted him in peace and auietudc. In
October. 1907. he wrote Dr Gordan: Rural en-.
ploymsnts while I -m spared (Which in the natural
course of things cannot b. long,. will now take
al n toll all nd SpCitudcS
attending tho walks IT public life. and with vows
for the happiness and prosperity of country
in whose service the prime 81 my life has been
spent and with hest wishes for the tranquility of
NIL nations and all men tn" s,rn. will close. CRATE
fil to that Providence which has directed MY
steps aud shielded me IN the various chances
through which have passed from my youth TO
the present moment"
Hut he was no, 10 he allowed the tranquility he
wished for other men and - fully enjoyed him
.elf and the call Of duty WAS once more To bc
oh'ycd before the scene clnSd few months
after that letter was written. he was summoned
by President Adams to take command ~ the army.
in view Of war that seemed imminent with France.
Once more the weary warrior was called upon to
put Oh his harness and he responded as the old
wlrnorI' to tn" sound ~ the trumn't On Ch,ist.
mas Day, 1898, he writes Lafayette:
After my valcdirtory address to the people
Of the Ini,cd States YOU will no doub, be some
what surprised to hear that had again consented
90 grid on the sword. hut having struggled
eight nine years Salnst The invasion Of right
by one power. and to establish independence
" it. could not remain an mconcrrned spectator
az the attempt Of another power 10 accomplish
the same object
In November Of tina, year he visited Phadcl.
phia and remained there a month To arrange
with the President and Secretary If War for the
SPEEDY organization and equipment oi the Army.
Then he returned to Mount Vernon 10 await events
prepared II need b. tu take the field once more
in behalf Of his country From that time until
his death our relations with France continued
strained and hostile. and his letter books show a
voluminous correspondence. having for its ,biec,
the preparation 81 the Army for ium 'dar ser
vice Though doubly hurdened by these public
cares and the management of his private affairs
his health appeared Ia H. perfect His biographer.
Mr. Sparks. says Since his retirement from the
Presidency his-hcaith had been remarkably good
and although age had not come without it's in:
firmitics yet he was able toendurr fatigue and.
mad. exer,ions Of mind and body with scarcely
less and activity than he had done in the
pine Of his strength
His nephew. Howell Lewis, who visited Noun,
Vernon short time before his death. thus de.
sCrlbed him he looked on DEC. o. When |
parted from him h. stood on IN" steps Of the front
door where he took leave Of myself and another
and wished us pleasant journey. II was 4
bright frosty morning he had taken his usual
ride, and the clear healthy flush on his chcks
and his sprighuy manner brought the remark
from both ot US that We had never sen thc General
look so we'll" He was THAT time full Of his plans
for the Improvement Of Mount Vernon. Mr.
Lewis says: During this my last visit TO the
General, we walked together about the grounds
and talked Of various improvements he had in
contemplation. The lawn WAS Ia b. extended
down % the river in the direction OF the old vault
which was to b. removed on account Of the threads
made by the roots Of the trees with which it is
crowned, which caused it u break I intend to
place 1t there said he pointing 10 the spot where
the new vault now stands First Of all shall
make this change. for after all may require IT
before the rest" lie was then preparing an ,lab-
crate schedule for the cultivation and rotation
81 the crops on his extensive farms the details Of
which were fully set forth in thirty. four pages
81 closely written manuscript. This wa Finished
the next day, and supplemented by a letter Of in
siructions Ia MIR. Anderson. his manager dated
dec, TO- II was two days after this that he con.
tracted the cold which rapidly developed into ute
laryngItis and terminated fatally on Dec a.
Two authentic accounts have bcen preserved
Of his last ILL ness and death One was written by
his secretary, Col. Tobias Lear on the night 81
his death and the other is the statement Of two
Of his attending physicians Col. Lear says:
On Thursday, Dec H. The General rode out to
his farms about 10 o'clock. and did return home
until past 3. Soon after he went out the weather
became very bad, rain, hail snow, falling alter
nately. with cold wind | carried some letters
10 him to frank, intending to send them to the Post
Office in the evening, He frankcd the letters but
said the weather was too bad to send a servant To
the oitcc that evening. ] observed to him
that was afraid he had got wet He said
No, his great coat had kept him dry. Hut his
neck appeared TO be- wet and the snow was hang
ing, upon his hair lie came to dinner (Which
had been waiting for him) without changing his
dress In the evening he appenr.d na we'll as
usual
"a heavy fall Of snow took place on Friday,
which prevrntci the General from riding out as
usual lie had taken cold undoubtedly from
being SO much exposed the day before, and com
planned of sore throat. lie, however, ,went in
the afternoon into the ground between the house
ana the river 10 mark some trees which wore u be
cut down In the improvement OF that spot. He
had hoarscnesS which increased in the evening
but he made light Of it,
In the evening the papers were brought from
The Post Once and he sal in the paror with Mrs
Washington and myself reading them Till about
o'clock when Mrs WASHINGTON wont an, IN 10