Evening star., 1933-01-22
Some Former PreSI-
dents Are Grouped
With Those to Whom
Death Came While
They Were in Office
Burial Places and
National History.
BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR.

HE recent death of Calvin Coolidge
brings to mind the fact that just
cne-fifth of our former Presidents
passed away in the Capital City,
namely, John Quincy Adams, William
Henry Harrison Zachary Taylor.
Abraham Lincoln, William Howard Taft and
Woodrow Wilson
The first occupant-or former occupant, as
the case may be-of the highest office in the
land to die in Washington was President Will
liam Henry Harrison who died ON April A. 1841
just one month to the day following his in
auguration. John Quincy adams a former
President died here on February %, 1848. fol-
lowed two years later-July 9, 1850-by Presi-
dent Zachary Taylor. President Abraham Lin
coin died in this city, April Is, 1855, and Wood
row Wilson passed away here February 3, 1924
and william Howard Taft, on March g. $780,
the last two named being former Presidents.
The loss Of a President, involving, as it does
the whole Nation, is expected to bring sadness
to every door, and even the loss Of former
President brings grief to the hearts of many
But in the death of William Henry Hal .ison
the sadness and grief seem to have been really
national and personal; perhaps, because he was
the first President to die in Office, and also be-
cause he was so universally loved and esteemed.
He was born at Berkeley, on the banks of
the James River in Virginia. February 9, 1773
His father. Benjamin Harrison was one of the
signers of the Declaration of Independence and
Governor of Virginia, 1782-1784 Young Har-
rsOn early began the study of medicine, but
abandoned this in 1871 to join the Army, hav-
ing obtained from President Washington COM
mission as ensign in the Artillery, and soon
rose to the rank of captain He left the Army,
and in 1900 was appointed Governor Of the
Indian Territory, comprising what is now the
States of Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
During the Summer of 1911 he collected
considerable force of militia and volunteers and
took the field to suppress the Indians of the
Northwest under the lead of Tecumseh and
met and defeated that celebrated chief on No
vember 7. on the banks of the Tfppecanoe
River This is recorded as having been one of
the most hoty contested battles ever fought
between whites and Indians and Harrisons
victory added greatly to his already high repu-
tation.
His part in the War of 1912 was alike
spicuous. and after Gen. Hull's ignomnious
defeat and surrender of Detroit, he was ap-
pointed commander in chief of the Army of
the Northwest. With almost superhuman ef-
fort, it Is said he managed to collect an army,
and, following Perry's victory on Lake Erie,
Harrison crossed over into Canada reposSesSed
Detroit, and on the banks of the Thames, de-
feated the British and their savage allies with
heavy loss TecumSeh being among those slain.
HarriSons military record made him an idol
with the masses, and when he ran for the
presidency in 1910 he defeated his nearest op-
ponent, Martin Van Buren, by a vote of 234 to
go, although four years before Van Buren, with
the help of Andrew Jackson another military
hero-had defeated Harrison, who received only
73 electoral votes, and Van" winning out over
all others by the slight margin of % votes.
At the time of his election, Gen. Harrison
was approaching his sixty eighth year, and
if we can believe one who saw him at the time.
he was "a feeble, broken down man"