Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 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 tho 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, whoso father and Secretary Bayard’s father were brothers. In 1848, while on board the United States ship Congress. in company with several young friends from ou board, lie made the ascent of Mount Vesuvius. It was the same Congress that went down in Hampton Roads before the Merrimac, and in the party was Hie same Joseph Smith, who, as commander of tho Congress, had his head taken off by a cannon ball and of whom bis lather said, when he heard that the Congress was taken: “Then Joe is dead.” In tho ealso was Lehman B. Ashraead, of delphia, 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. In the ease of young Bayard the tattooed cross developed virulent features, festered, and finally lie became sick and tho arm became greatly swollen. lie continued to declare that he would die, and even after it appeared to grow entirely well lie was in tho habit of saying to Mr. Ash mead and other friends: “This arm will be the death of me yet.” Ton years afterward young Bayard left for a cruise in tho Columbia as flag lieutenant of Commander Morris. Before leaving ho 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 Coluaibia being then at Naples, he made tho ascent of Vesuvius during an eruption. With him were Rear Admiral Simpson and Rear Admiral Calhoun, who were then Lieutenants. He had tho arm of a Prussian army officer. He was quite gay. Just near the Hermitage, where ho 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 ami obliterating the cross, and before the party could 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.