The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-12-27
CEN. Sc WELL DEAD
Senior United States
Senator's End Came
Peacefully This
Morning.
SURROUNDED BY HIS FAMILY
A Brilliant Soldier, an Emil
nent Statesman and
Prominent Man
Of Affairs.
THREE TIMES SENATOR
Made a General for Gallant
Service on Chancellors-
ville's Bloody Field.
LAST FIGHT FOR LIFE
Citizens of Hudson Pay Warm
Tributes to the Mans
Sterling Worth.
Citizens of Hudson Pay Warm
Tributes to the Mans
Sterling Worth.


CAMDEN Dec. 81 1901.-Wiliiam j.
Sewell, senior United States Senator from
New Jersey and Major General conn
-nanGIng the National Guard of this State
dleu at his home in this city at $3.50
o'clock this morning. At his bedside at
the time were his wife. his daughter by
a former wife, his two sons. Captain Sew
ell of the regular army and Major Will
lam J. Sewsll, Jr., of the New Jersey
militia.
General Sewell has been a very sick
man for the past year. Brights disease
and consumption having undermined his
health. Las. spring he went abroad In
hopes that the springs of Germany would
restore his health. Those who saw him
upon his return late in the fall realized
thstt his hoDes had been i'll vain and that
the hand OF death was upon him. Soon
after arriving in this country he went to
Ashvilie, s. c., where it was hoped that
the clear, bracing air of that mountain
Dus country would benefit him. For
tirne after his arrival there he rallied
somewhat and his friends had hopes
that he wouia again find his health But
the rally was only the upward flicker OF
.he candle before it goes out, and at the
beginning of the month it became appar-
ent that the irevitable was at hand The
General then expressed a wish to return
North and die IN his home
He was brought to Camden and even
those who saw him on his return from
Europe were shocked when they saw an
ordinarily sized colored porter pick the
General up in his arms like child and
carrv him from the train to his carriage.
He was but the shadow of his former
vigorous self and the sight dispelled all
hone. however sanguine of his recovery.
From the time he arrived home he began
TO sink slowly and his friends and family
settled down to await the end. Three
sdays ago he rallied slightly, but at no
time did the physicians hold out any
hope. Most of the time he lay upon his
he'd unconscious. but occasionally he had
lucid intervals.
shortly after midnight this morning the
change came and it was apparent tnat
the General was dying. He was SEMI
conscious at the time, but at ll5 O'Clock
he relapsed into unconsciousness and re-
mained so, slowly breathing his life away,
until the end came peacefully at $3.50
o'clock.
senator sewell was born in ireland in
ace. At the outbreak of the Civil war
he was mustered into the United States
service as captain in the Fifth New Jer-
sew Regiment, August %, 1861, and parti-
cipated in all the engagements in which
his regiment took part down to the bat
tle of Spottsylvania. in May 1864 In the
hattie of Charlottesville, General Mott
was disabled by a severe wound. and
oh of the brigade.
At a critical point in the engagement he
led it forward in resistless charge and
achieved one of the most brilliant sue
oesses of the war. He captured eight
colors from the Confederates, and retook
the regimental standard of a New York
regiment. His services were scarcely less
brilliant at Gettysburg and other import
ant points. He was wounded twice, at
Gettvsburg and charlottesville. He was
made lielltenant-colonel of the Fifth Reg1-
mert. July. 1862, and colonel three months
later. In September, 1864, after recover
ing from Illness, he became colonel of
the Thirty-eighth Regiment and remained
with it in the field until the close Of the
war
He was made Brevet Brigadier-G General
Of Volunteers April 2, 1866, for gallant
Chancellorsville and Major-G General at
the close of the war, for meritorious ser
vices. When Joel Parker became Cover
nor. General Sewell was appointed a mem
her Of his personal staff. During the rail-
road strikes Of 1877 he was sent by Gov
e-nor Bedle to the most critical point in
New Jersey (Phillipsburg) with the Sixth
and Seventh Regiments, and was appoint
lar of
AT that point. He guarded his post so
wen that NOT a ripple Of trouble occurred.
He was for several years commander of
the Second Brigade, National Guard Of
New Jersey. ana was Division Com
mander at his death.
He was elected to the State Senate from
Camden County for three successive