Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1890 — IS SUMMONED BY DEATH [ARTICLE]

IS SUMMONED BY DEATH

GENERAL CROOK DIES SUDDENLY OF HEART FAILURE. Stricken Down in the Apparent Glow of Health, He Never Speaks After the Fatal Malady Attacks Him—A Brave Man’s Career Sketched. Chicago dispatch: General George Crook, commander of t.ie department of the Missouri, expired suddenly at the Grand Pacific hotel at 7:15 Fnaay morning, the 21st Inst. Heart-failure is said to have caused his death. The news of his death was a great surprise, as it was supposed that the general was in the very best of health. The shock was all the more severe because Gen. Crook had been apparently in the best of health and spirits up to the moment ho had retired the previous night. All dav Thursday ho was at his desk at the army headquarters, performing bis usual labor and directing the affairs of the division of tho Missouri, of which ho was the commander. Ho was in his usual happy frame of mind and wore his old-tlmo smile as he greeted hls friends. Thursday night, with his wife and her sister, Mrs. Reed of Oakland, Md., he attended a small social gathering at the homo of a friend, and after his return to tho hotel chatted merrily In the corridor with some acquaintances. When he arose Friday morning he stepped at once Into an adjoining room, as was his habit, to exorcise with Indian clubs, dumb-bells, and other gymnastic devices, before putting on his clothes. As Gen. Crook walked Into the little gymnasium ho called to hls wife. Ho spoke quickly and Mrs. Crook jumped hastily from the bod. She ran Into the room to find her husband had fallen to the floor. Mrs. Crook called to her husband as she leaned over the inanimate body. Receiving no response she screamed, and, running to the door, called for aid. A moment later a score of guests and employes of the hotel were there in response to Mrs. Crook’s repeated calla, The house physician was present almost Instantly, but ho saw at the first glance that Gen. Crook was already dead. The cause of Gen. Crook’s death was heart failure resulting from indigestion. He had been troubled In this way for many years. Adjt.-Gon. Williams, who assumed command Immediately after Gen. Crook’s death, has charge of the arrangement's for the funeral. He Is in communication with Secretary of War Proctor. It is Mrs. Crook’s desire that the body be taken to Oakland, Md., for burial and her request has been forwarded to tho Secretary. Gen. Crook was appointed from Ohio to tho military academy at West Point, July 1, 1848, and graduated In 1852, and was appointed brevet second lieutenant, July, 1852. After serving awhile in garrison at Fort Columbus, New York,’ he was sent out to Bencia barracks, California. He was transferred to Fort Jones, California, where he served until 1855. His principal duty while there was escorting the topographical party that was making a survey of Rogue river. He was on this duty from 1855 to 1856. On March 11, 1856, ho was promoted to first lieutenant, and was in command of the Pitt river expedition in 1857. In a skirmish with tho Indians ho was wounded with an arrow. Ho had two other little Indian fights, one on tho 2d of July, 1857, and the other July 26, the same year. He was transferred to Fort Terwataw in the latter part of 1857, and in March, 1858,went to Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, where ho took part In the Yaklmo expedition. Ho was then transferred back to Fort Terwataw, where ho served until 1861. In 1861 ho was made captain In the Fourth infantry and came East and was assigned to duty in West Virginia. Sept. 17, 1862, he was made colonel of the Thirty-sixth Ohio Volunteers, and was put in command of the Third provisional brigade. He participated in the action of Lewisburg, W. Va., where he was badly wounded. For hls gallantry there he was made brigadier-general of volunteers, the commission dating Sept. 2, 1862, and brevetted lieutenant-colonel in the regular army. He was engaged in the battle of South Mountain, Sept, 14, 1862, and Antietam. Sept. 17, 1862. He was then transferred to the Army of the Cumberland in command of a division. On July 4, 1863, he was in. command of the Second Cavalry Division. He was at the battle of Chickamauga from Sept. 18 to 20, 1863. After Chickamauga he had three fights with Wheeler’s cava'ry—one on Oct. 3, one on Oct. 4, and one on Oct. 7. In November, 1863, he was transferred to the command of tha Kanawha district in West Virginia, 'She Sr ncipal fights he had there were Cloyd’s fountain and New River Bridge. These occurred while he was on a raid against the Virginia and'Tennessee Railway. Tn July, 1869, he was put in command of a’l the troops in the Department of West Virginia and brevetted Major General in the United States army. After a skirmish at Snyder’s Ferry and at Kernstown and a sharp fight at Halltown he was captured at Cumberland. When he was exchanged, which was in August, 1864, he joined Gen. Sheridan in his Shenandoah campaign and was in all the battles of that campaign. He was put in command of all the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac and was made a Major General of volunteers Oct. 24, 1864. He participated in the battles of Dinwiddie Court House, Fisher's Hill, Jetersville, Sanders Creek, Farmville, and Appomattox. He was in the last battle of the war, at Farmville, April 7, 1865, and was present at the capitulation of Gen. Lee on April 9, 1865. On July 28, 1866, he was made Lieutenant Colonel of the Twenty-third Infantry, and on the 29th of October, 1873, he was made Brigadier General, being promoted over half the lieutenant colonels of the army and all the colonels, and assigned to the command of the Platte. Subsequently Gen. Sherman put him in command of the Department of Arizona, and about a year ago General Crook was placed in command of the Department "of the Missouri.