Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-04-16
GEN. WADE HAMPTON DEAD.
NE HAD FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT HE HAD
KEPT THE FAITH.
.CAROuNA'S GREATEST STATESMAN
And Soldier Dies at His Home In Columbia
at Peace with God and Man.

never met QeIeaG, went down De1Ore tne
grim destroyer, like all men must, but
which he knew was but little way off,
with that calmness, courage and conf
dence which were the distinguishing
characteristics of his life.
Surrounded by his children, relatives
and a few intimate friends, he quietly,
almost imperceptibly, passed away.
There was no Laia or suffering, but his
soul departed into eternity like one gent
ly falling into peaceful sleep.
The General was not conscious but at
brief intervals during the past twenty
four hours; but, previous to that, all Of
his faculties were clear and he talked
about his approaching death to his
been to them, they were, in a way, pre-
pared for it, for during the past eight or
ten days he has been gradually failing.
For several days it has only been ques-
tion of short time when the end had to
come, but SO wonderful was the vitality
lied several times when his life seemed
about to pass away.
The immediate cause of death was val
vular disease of the heart, though there
was more or less breaking down of his
constitution of old ago, for he was "a
years old.
1t was realized last night that the
hours. He had been asleep much during
the day. under the influence of anodynes,
but previous to that he had been unable
to take nourishment. This circumstance,
with the other fact, that he had lost
interest in his surroundings, plainly told
to the anxious watchers about his bed
side that he could last but a short while
longer. AS the night wore on he con-
tinued to grow weaker DR.. Taylor, his
friend and physician, was at his bedside
and noticed the pulse as it grew weaker
and weaker. Finally, at $50, his last
breath was drawn, but so quietly had he
been breathing that the family did not
know that he was dead until DR.. Taylor
announced the fact.
Those present at the sad death scene
besides DR.. Taylor were Gen. Hampton's
children, they being Miss Mary Single
ton Hampton, Mr.. and Mrs. McDuffie
Hampton, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred II.
Hampton, Col. and Mrs. John G. Haskell
and Judge Haskell.
Gen. Hampton was "a years old. He
was born in Columbia, graduated from
the South Carolina College, served III the
Legislature several terms while still
young man. He volunteered in the SER
vice of the State, at the outbreak of the
war, as q private, but soon raised his
own command, which became known as
Hampton's Legion, one of the most dis
tinguished bodies of soldiery that the
world has ever known. He was wounded
in the foot at Seven Pines and three times
at Gettysburg. He was made major
general in 1863 and lieutenant general of
cavalry in 1864.
He returned to his plantation at the
close of the war, from which retirement
he came out to lead the white mems party
in 1876 and was elected Governor. He was
elected to thu United States Senate in 1870.
His first wife was Margaret, daughter
of Gen. Francis Preston; his second,
daughter of Senator McDuffie. He has
had several children by both marriages,
both sons and daughters.
In the length and breadth of the land
no name was so revered as Hampton's.
Fair Hands Toll First Lament.
There was a dramatic incident con-
nected with the tolling of st. Michael's
bells in Charleston. Mrs. Mary Grimes
Smith and Miss Annie II. Bragaw, of
Washington, d. c., were ascending the
steeple as the bell-ringer was about to
begin his work and Mrs. Smith, hearing
of the death of Gen. Hampton, asked
that she might be permitted to toll the
bells. 1t was not uniting that such
fair hands should toll the first three or
four strokes of the historic bells, for
Mrs. Smith is the daughter of the dis
tinguished Confederate, the late Gen.
Bryan Grimes, of North Carolina, who
fought under Hampton in the Army of
Northern Virginia.
Senator Vests Beautiful Tribute.
Washington, April Ex-senator Vest,
in his speech this afternoon in tho Son
ate, paid touching and beautiful trib-
ute to Gen. Wade Hampton, who will be
buried tomorrow at Columbia, S. 9.
The Senator's voice trembled with emo
tion as he spoke of his old friend and
colleague, and more than once he paused,
scarcely able to proceed.
Yesterday when came to the Capt.
tol,' he said, 81 was handed dispatch
from one of the family of the great
Southern leader, formerly our colleague
in this chamber, that at ten minutes be-
fore o'clock he had passed over the
dark river, to join that great encampment
upon the other side. l hope / may be
pardoned if | speak very briefly of Wade
mitted to the earth, but whose memory
will liva for centuries to come among the
people ,"o only of the South, but of the
whole country. | knew him well and
loved him sincerely He was the high
est type of a Christian gentleman,
patient, brave, honest and unset
fish. He was not depressed by adversely
lost except life and honor he bowed
sub. vely to the result of great war,
in .h he shared the fortunes of his
people. He never uttered one vindctive
word; he never gave any wild advice to
the people who were suffering all the
horrors of reconstruction and who only
needed his advice to dare again the ut
most that fate could do against them,
rather than submit to the ills they had
He commenced his public life as very
young member of the Legislature of
South Carolina, by daring TO face an
overwhelming public sentiment in his
own State in denunciaton of the infa-
nous slave trade which hotheaded men
sought again to open upon those people.
Afterwards he found it bis duty to again
oppose the will of his people upon a
great financial question, but he did it
without hesitation, and faced political
death, almost certain, as he had often
upon the battlefield faced death in the
defence of what he believed right"
A National Hero.
From every section of the whole coun-
try have poured in kilograms of condo
lence, sympathy and love, lotters bearing
sincere and beautiful tributes to the
memory of the distinguished soldier,
statesman and citizen, and all bearing
evidence of the universal esteem in
which he was held. From soldiers who