Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1891 — A GREAT SOLDIER GONE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A GREAT SOLDIER GONE.

SEN. WM. T. SHERMAN PASSES FROM EARTHLY BATTLESPmcefulTy Dies Among Friend* ia Bi* Home fa New York—Cio* ng Seen** nt an Illuetrtoue Car**r—Sk*MihofHi» Lifai Gen. Wm. T. Sherman died at hia home in New York Saturday, Feb. 14 at 1:50 p. m., surrounded by hi* family and many friend*-/ - ' ■ ■ - 1 ■■' ■. All .night long, on the night previous General Sherman wavered between life anddeath, and continued to fight bravely the hopeless battle. Early fn the evening the physician* knew that the end was approaching slowly but surely. The. swelling of the face and neck had disappeared, but with the subsidence of the symptoms of erysipelas came the develop cent of lung trouble complicated with a return of the long standing asthma. Mucous began once more to accumulate in the lungs, and the first sign* of passive pneumonia became apparent. At 11:30 LieutenantsThackera

and Fitch left Gen. Sherman’s residence for the purpose of obtainingznuch required rest. At the time the dying soldier was | awake, but merely to continue breathing required all hiseffortsi Mucous had filled his throat, and the glands evidently still . caused h jm. mu ch pain • .At ffiid nigh tsi sen.. had come to the relief of tho sufferer. At 1 o’clock Saturday morning the Gen- ' eral was still slumbering and there was evidently no change in his condition as far as could be determined by the doctors. The house was closed for the night and quietness reigned. At 3:50 a. m. there was no change in the patient’s condition. General Ewing's son, who hud been at the bedside of the sufferer all night, said at 4:25 that the General’s respiration had considerably Increased, which caused anxiety. With > the exception of heavy breathing at 5:3 J o'clock no change could be discerned. An hour later a decided change for the worse let in and Lieut. Thackera and Dr. Green were summoned from the latter's resiience. Another hour and all the members of General Sherman’s familj* were summon* ed to the sick room. Death seemed near, ind the pallid watchers showed evidences in their faces of great suffering. The unconqured soldier was still a conqueror; he lay suffering and suffering, but refused to tuccumb, and thus was passed the next* tew hours. At 8:25 o'ulock Senator Sher- ' man telegraphed to his family at Washington that his brother was still alive, but only conscious. He was apparently with-' out pain, but his breathing was labored znd his strength diminishing. Gen. Henry W. Slocum has been so lected by Gen. Sherman s family to takcharge of the funeral arrangement*. The ' burial will take place at St. Louis. „

During the forenoon, as the hours passed by, every inquirer who called at the Genseal's house was told that all hope had been abandoned; that his ra'atives and attendants were merely waiting for the end and endeavoring to make his last hours as free from suffering as possible. Among those who called was Cy rus W, Field, who was driven to the house in bls carriage. After he had learned the sad tidings he still lingered around. After Mrs. U. S. Grant drove up, Mrs. Thos. Ewing, Jr., descended the steps from the house to her carriage door and told her of the condition of her husband's old com panion-in-armss Shortly after noon, Secretary Barrett wa' asked if another bulletin was not to be issued. He replied that it had been deter-, mined to issue no more bulletins. At 1:50 o’clock p. m. he came out of the house and told the policeman on guard that the end had come, and that the General bad at last surrendered. Some doubt as to the authenticity of the report was ex* I pressed, but the officer said it was official ! One of the family came out of the house Word was sent to young Mr. Shertnan,who returned the message, and said that he would not be able to give out anything about the death of his father for two hours. From Secretrry Barrett it was learned that General Sherman had remained unconscious to the last, dying with no visible pain. The following official statement of the scenes at the deathbed of Gen, Sherman tt nd the arrangements for the funeral was given out late in the afternoon by Lieuten* ant Fitch: •*Gen. Sherman lay in bed from Friday morning until he died to-day without speakiug a word. He made the attempt to do so several times but was unable toutte 1 * a sound other than a hoarse gasp.* He ap» , parently recognised those about him by a look of the eye. His tongue was swollen and bis jaws were stiff some hours before he died. Signs of death were noticed half an hour before he died, in the icy coldness of the finger tips. This coldness gradually extended to his hands aud arms. He was unconscious for the last two hours he was alivei At the bedside ,wbre his son P. T. Sherman, his daughters Rachel ana Lizzie, Lieutenant and Mrs. Fitch, Lieutenant and Mrs. Thackers, Senator John Sherman, Dr. Alexander and Gen. Thomas Ewing. The two daughters remained hnselmg, one at each aide of the bed, dur»

ing the last boar of the life of their father “No priest or clergyman was present neither were any called. No priest has entered the house since Father Taylor called. The General did not suffer any ' pain for the last two days. All night long he lay in bed with his head high up, but toward morning he worked bis head,lower, until at the last be lay perfectly flat Death * came so quietly that those at the bedside did not realize that the General was deal! until Dr. Alexander said: “All is over?’ Death came with one long sigh. Suffica- ; ion, due to the lungs filling with mucus was the cause.

' A few minutes after reading the press DUiletin the President received a brief telegram from Senator Shermau announce ing his brother s death. He thereupon sent for General Grant, who is acting Secretary of War, and Major Genera] Schofield, and gave instructions for full military honors for the dead soldier and made several suggestions in regard to the character of the general orders announcing General Sherman’s death to the army. He also prepared a message to Congress and issued the following executive order: It is my painful duty to announce to the country that Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman died this day at 1:50 o’clock, presidence in the city of New York. The Secretary of War will cause the highest military honors to be paid to the memory of the distinguished officer. The national flag will be floated at half mast over all public buildings until after the burial and the public business will be B uspended in the executive departments jn the city of Washington and in the city where the interment will take place on the day of the funeral, and in all places where publloexpression is given to the national sori ow during such hours as will enable every officer and employe to participate therein with their fellow citizens. When the President’s message announcing Gen. Sherman’s death was placed before Congress, business was at once suspended and remarks were made eulogistic of the dead soldier. Appropriate resolus tio us were ad opted. Every city and town in the country pays tribute to his memory, and. express sorrow at his demise. The mourning is universal Thousands of telegrams of condolence are being sent in.

I The funeral parade In New York will occur in New York City on the 19th. The President, Vice President, Ex Presidents Hayes aud Cleveland and all the distinguished soldiers, and.citizens in the counI try will participate. It is expeeted-that 111,500 soldiers will be in line. The remains will be conveyed to Washington Where they will He in state for one day, and thence toSU Louis for interment. The casket is of oak, covered with black cloth, and lined with white satin. Tho handles are plain silver bars, and on the lid is a plain silver plate, on which is inscribed the name Wi'liam Tecumseh Sherman,and the date of his birth and death. While being transpoited from Washington to StLouis the casket will be placed in polished oak box with silver trimmings. The body is now lying, embalmed,in the room where the General died. It is covered withan American flag. ». ;/ ■ ■ , ' CAKEER OF GEN. SHERMAN. William Tecumseh Sherman was born at Lancaster,’ 0., Feb. 8,1820. In 1836 he was sent as a cadet to Weat Point, graduating in 1840. He was commissioned a first lieutenant and sent to Florida. In 1841 he was promoted to a second lieutenant. lu 184. he was at Ft. Morgan, Mobile and Charleston Harbor. In 1843 he began the study oi law. During the Mexican war he was du duty in California. May 1, 1850, he married Miss Ella Ewing at Washington. He ; was appointed captain in the Comissary Department and sent io St. Louis and New Orleans. He resigned his commission Sept. 1 and accepted a position as manager of a branch bank in San Francisco; in 1857 returned to St. Louis; in 1853-59 practiced I law at Leavenworth,.and in 1360 he became

superintendent of the State Military Acad* emyat Alexandria, La. Waen thut Sta.e seceded he promptly resigned and went to St. Louis. Muy 13 he was commissioned Colonel and reported to Scott at Washington. He commanded a brigade at Bull Run. Au&. 3 he was made a Brighter General, and on the 23th was sent to Kentucky and soon succeeded Gen. Anderson in command. He was relieved Nov. 12, ano ordered to report to Halleck in the West, in command of Bsnton Barracks. After the capture of Fts. Henry aud Donnelson in 1862 by Grant, Sherman was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee. He lost many troops at Shiloh. He was wounded in the hand but did njt leave the field. Gen. Grant in his report warmly prised him, declaring that the victory was due to the individual efforts of Sbermau. Hallack also warmly praised Sherman. He was a leader in the campaign against Cor* inth. Sherman was promoted to Major* General. From this time forward Sherman was a conspicuous figures in the war. No American history isoomplete thatdoes not give a complete review of his iifetnd we pass the many interesting battles and events in which he was a partic.panttohis famous march througn Georgia. With his army thus diminished, he be* gan bis “march to the sea,” moving upon Savannah, aud threatening Augusts an_ Macon, out finding little to oppose him. He moved steadily forward until be reach* ed the defensive works that covered Savannah and blocked the Savannan river. These were promptly taken by assault, and communications were opened with the fleet, which furnished ample supplies to his army. Savannah thus became a marine base for future operations. Sherman an* nouneed in a brief note to President Lincoln the evacuation of the city, which was surrendered Dec. 21. “I beg to present you,” he wrpte, “as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns, plenty of ammunation and 25,000 bates of cotton.” His army had marched ;<OO miles in twenty-four days, through the heart of Georgia, and bad lived in plenty all the way, one of the most valuable and perhaps the most famous achievements of the war. On Aug. 12 he had been appointed a Ma* jorsGeneral in the United States arms and on Jan 10 he received the thanks of Congress for his triumphal march. After the occupation of Savannah the question arose whether Sherman should come north by sea or march through the Atlantic States. He preferred the latter plan. Sherman left Savannah in February, moved through the Saikehatchia swamp, flanked Charleston, compelled its evacuation, and entered Columbia Feb. 1?. Tnence he moved on Goldsboro by way of Winns boro, Cheraw and Fayetteville, opening communications by Cape Fear river on March 12, figt ting at Averysboroand Bentonville, wnere the enemy resisted his advance vigorously. At Avervoboro, on I March 16, General Henry W. Slocum, with four divisions, attacked the intrenched position of Gen. Wm. J. Hardee, and, turning his left flank, compelled him to fall back, while the cavalry under Gen. Kilpatrick were attankad aud driven back

Iby the Confederate infantry of General i bicLaws, on the road to Bentonville, At the latter point Gen. Johnston’s force wa* attacked In a »trongly intrenched position I on-the left Wing of Suerman’s army under Gen. SI cum, Whose right flank had been broken and driven back. After an obstinate conflict* the Confederates withdrew in the night Snerman and Schofield met at Goldsboro on March 23 ana 2-., as orig.naily planned. Leaving his troops there, fie visited Presi-> dent Lincoln and General Grant at City Point, where an interview qc urred on the Ocean Queen. Sherman returned to Golds boro on Marchand was ready by April Wto move and ur<ak Lee’s communications on-tbeDauviiieroa i and cut off his retreat or to reinforce Grant in front of Richmond. On the 13th he occupied Raleigh. Johnson, at Goldsboro, received news of Lee’s surrender on April 12th, and s n t a flag of truce on the 14th to Sherman at Durham Station to ask upon what terms he would receive bis surrender. Sherman after much correspondence, made a memorandum cf a basis of. surrender wnicb contemplated the immediate ending of the war. Thc assassination of Lincoln, on April 14, complicated matters, and the agreement of Sherman and Johnson was repudiated by the Secretary of Wa-, who sent Grant at once to North Carolina to negotiate terms of peace. Following th s surrender, General Sherman began bis advance to Richmond and Washington on Anril 28, and on May 21, 1865, ended his wonderful Southern marches of more than 2,600 miles at Washington, his effort hav-> ing been crowned w.th success from first to last.

On June 27 he was appointed tothe command of the military division of the Mississippi, in which were comprised the departments of the Ohio, Missouri and Acs kansas. his headquarters being aeSt Louis. On July 25, 1»65, he succeeded General Grant as lieutenant-general, and on Aug. 11 took command of the Division of the Missouri. In November and December of that year he was employed on a special niisaion to~Mexico. After the election of General Grant to the presidency, and the consequent vacation of the office of General of the Armies of the United States by Pres dent Grant, Lieutenant-general Sher man was ma ie genenal March 4, 1a69. In 1871, after nearly thirty years of active service in the army, he obtained leave of absence for a year. He at once went to Europe, entending his travels to theTEast, being everywhere received with that marked distinction which the people of the old world arc every ready to accord to one who has occupied such prominent posit’ons in military life and has won such laurels as had Gen. Sherman. On his return fr ’in his travels he took up his residence al Wa-bington as Command-er-in-Chief of the army, remaining there until October. 1874, when he removed his residence to St. Louis In 1875 he published two octavo vo'umes, entitled “Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman, by Himself,” which were well received, and acs cepted as a most important addition tothe paves of history of the United States. On Nov. 1, 1883,he went on the retired list with full pay, retaining his rank ;-s General, which expires With his death. He was succeeded by Lieutenant-general Sheridan in edmmandof the army. Since his retirement General Sherman has re* sided in New York.