Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1886 — Presentiment of Death. [ARTICLE]

Presentiment of Death.

The subject of presentiment concerning death and fatality in families spoken of in Hancock’s case recalls some sad points in the Bayard history. Few families have been more depleted by sudden death than the Bayards, and in many instances there have been forewarnings and presentiments. It is said that Miss Bayard wrote a letter indicating her approaching death. There are now in Washington many old naval officers who remember the interesting circumstances attending the death of Miss Bayard’s cousin, Charles C. Bayard, at Mount Vesuvius. He was the favorite son of Richard Bayard, of Philadelphia, whose father and Secretary Bayard’s father were brothers. In 1843, while on board the United States ship Congress. in company with several young friends from on board, he made the ascent of Mount Vesuvius. It was the same Congress that went down in Hampton Roads before the Mcrrimac, and in the party was the same Joseph Smith, who. as commander of the Congress, had his head taken off by a cannon ball and of whom his father said, when he heard that the Congress was taken: “Then Joe is dead.” In the party also was Lehman B. Ashmead, of Philadelphia, with whom young Bayard afterward went to Jerusalem to visit the Holy Sepulcher. While there they both had tattooed on their arms, by an old dragoman, the heraldic arms of Jerusalem, with the date of their visit [n the case of young Bayard the tattooed cross developed virulent features, festered, and finally he became sick and the arm became greatly swollen. He continued to declare that he would die, and even after it appeared to grow entirely well he was in the habit of saying to Mr. Ashmead and other friends: “This arm will be the death of me yet” Ten years afterward younp; Bayard left for a cruise in the Columbia as flag lieutenant of Commander Morris. Before leaving he took a sad farewell of all his friends here, and declared to one and all that “they would never see him again.” He was very dejected and despondent Ten years to a day from his previous visit, in company with young Carroll Tucker, of Maryland, and a few friends, the Columbia being then at Naples, he made the ascent of Vesuvius during an eruption. With him were Rear Admiral Simpson and Rear Admiral Calhoun, who were then Lieutenants. He had the arm of a Prussian army officer. He was quite gay. Just near the Hermitage, where he had halted ten years before, the party stopped, finding it would be dangerous to go nearer the crater. As they were turning a mass of lava and rock struck young Bayard on the arm where he had been tattooed, cutting it fearfully and obliterating the cross, and before the pajty coula reach the foot of the volcano he died. His mother is still living, upward of 90 years of age. His body is buried near the foot of Vesuvius.