Evening star., 1909-04-27
MEMORIES OF GRANT
Anniversary of the Birth Of
the Great Commander.
LAST ILLNESS RECALLED
Rev. DR.. S. v. Leech's Personal
Recollections.
CLOSING SCENE IN HERO'S LIFE
Meeting Death Serenely-Document
Describing His Feelings Given
to Physician.
Ry Rev. S. Y. Leech, ID.

Today is the anniversary of the birth
of Gen. Ulysses Simpson Grant. When
the illustrious stateman of China, Viceroy
Ii Hung Chang, stood at the tomb of the
hero of Appomattox and laid there a
breautiful wreath of flowers he said:
Here rests the body of the greatest man
earth ever saw.
During the first year of my pastorate
1885 Of the Methodist Episcopal Church
at Saratoga Springs, N. Y, my friend,
J. w. Drexel. placed at the disposal OF
Gen. Grant and family his splendid cot
tage on Mount McGregor. two miles
from the city. / held the positions Of
chaplain of the senate and president OF
the New York State Temperance Society
at that date. 1 had known Gen. Grant
during my Baltimore conference pas
torates. when, as President of the United
States, he attended the Metropolitan
NJ. E. Church Of Washington Miss
Drexel. now the consecrated mother su-
perior of the Indian work of the Roman
Catholic Church, told me that Gen.
Grant was to be brought from New
York to the cottage on the 18th
day of June. The Drexels were to re-
main in their Saratoga summer home.
The spacious Mount McGregor summer
residence faced the marvellous panorama
of territory made historic by the defeat
and surrender Of Burgoyne. l have
stood on the Swiss Alps and on the
crest Of Vesuvious and looked out on
the magnificent surrounding scenery, but
one of the most enchanting vistas greets
the sight when, from the plateau in front
Of the Drexel cottage, the vast land
scape, with the hills of Massachusetts
and Connecticut in the background, comes
into view.
Struggling With Disease.
For several months at New York Gen
Grant had been bravely struggling with
the agonizing pains of epithelial cancer
of the throat His weight had gone
down from 200 to 145 pounds
He had been attended by the eminen,
throat specialists, Drs. j. H. Douglas
G. r. Elliott and G. F. Shrady. Amid
excruciating physical suffering he had
completed the first volume of hi.
Memoirs and had begun work on the
second volume.
From the date Of his arrival at the
Drexel cottage l was accustomed to ride
up daily on the little train, and talk with
the surgeons and his New York pastor,
DIR. John P. Newman, who had taken 9
'supernumerary' relation to the New
York conference, and was pastor Of an
independent congregation, worshiping In
DR.. Hepworth's former church. After
ward he returned to the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, was transferred to the Bal
timore conferences and was again appoint
ed pastor Of the Metropolitan Church,
at Washington, from which he was elect
ed to the episcopacy. DR.. Newman re-
mained at the Mount McGregor Hotel
to the date of Gen. Grants death, as his
personal friend and religious counselor.
Daily, for weeks, Gen. Grant sat on the
wide veranda Of the Drexel cottage. al
ways returning the salutations of the
hundreds of friends who passed the mill
tary sentries guarding his privacy. Col.
Frederick D. Grants Office in the cottage
faced the hotel, and to 1t eminent men
daily came to tender their sympathy.
Among Gen. Grants last visitors was his
old classmate, Gen. Simon Buckner. who
had surrendered to Gen. Grant Fort Dom
elson. When / frequently saw Gen.
Grant sitting In q chair looking out on
natures surprising beauty, thought of
the great Hebrew leader, Moses, looking.
when dying. on the glory of the land Of
promise, from the brow Of Mount Neba.
Willing to Go When Called.
One day when he had written long on
his Memoirs he handed to DR.. Douglas