72 



MISCELLANY 



THE LAST MOMENTS OF WASHINGTON. 



George Washington Bassett, Esq. of Fred- 

 ericksbuigh, fuiiiislied Mr Silas E. Borrows of 

 this city with the following iiiteiestitig itccount of 

 the last moments of ' the father of his country.' 

 Mr Bmrovvs has pdlitely haniled it to us for pub- 

 lication. — JV. 1^ Inquirer. 



The following circumstantial account of the 

 lost illness and death of Gen. George Washington 

 was noted by Tobias Lear, on Suinhi}' following 

 his deaih, which happened on Satunhiy evening 

 December 14tli, 1799, between the hours of Km 

 and eleven; he was horn on the ■22d February, 

 1732. 



'On Thursday, Dec. 12th, the General rode 

 out to his farms at about 10 o'clock, and did not 

 return home till past 3. Soon after he went out, 

 the weather became very bad ; rain, hail and snow 

 falling alternately, with a cold wind. When 

 he came in, I carried some letters to him to 

 frank, intending to send them to the Post Office. 

 He franked the letters, but said the weather was 

 too bad to send a servant to the office that evening. 

 I observed to him that I was afraid he had got wet ; 

 he said no — his great coat had kept him dry ; but 

 his neck appeared to be wet — the snow was hang- 

 ing on his hair. 



He came to dinner without chaneing his dress. 

 In the evening he ajipeared as well as usual. A 

 heavy fall of snow took place on Friday, which 

 prevented the General from riding out as usual. 

 He had taken cold (undoubtedly from being so 

 much exposed the day before,) and cf)mplained 

 of having a sore throat ; he had a hoarseness, which 

 increa,<cd in the evening, but he made light of it, 

 as he would never take anything to carry off a 

 cold, — always observing, ' let it go as it came.' In 

 the evening, the |)apers having come from the 

 Post Office, he sat in the room, with Mrs Wash- 

 inglon and myself, reading them, till about nine 

 o'clock ; and when he met with anything which 

 he thought diverting or interesling, he would 

 read it aloud. He desired ine to read to him ihe 

 debates of the Virginia .Assembly, on the elec- 

 tion of a Senator and Governor, which I did. On 

 his retiring to bed, he apiieared to he in perfect 

 health, except the C(dd which he considered as 

 trifling — he had been remarkably cheerful all the 

 evening. 



About two or three o'clock on Saturday niorn- 

 in", he awoke Mrs Washington, and informed 

 her he was very unwell, and hffd an ague. She 

 observeil that he could scarcely speak, an.l breath- 

 ed with difficulty, and she wished lo get up and 

 call a servant ; but the General would not permit 

 her, lest she should take cold. As soon as the 

 day appeared, the woman Caroline went into the 

 riom to make a fire, and the girl desired that l\Ir 

 llavvlins, one of the overseers, who was u 



NEW ENGLAND FAIliMER. 



pared, but he could not swallow a drop ; when- 

 ever he attempted, he was distressed, convulsed, 

 and almost suffocated. 



Mr Rawlins came in soon after sun rise and 

 prepared to bleed him ; when the arm vvaa ready 

 the General observing Rawlins appe:ired agitated : 

 said with difficulty ' don't be afraid,' and afler 

 the incision was made he observed, the orifice 

 was not large enough — however the blood ran 

 pretty freely, Mrs Washington not knowing 

 whether bleeding was proper in the General's sit- 

 uation begged that nmch might not be taken from 

 iiim, and desired me to stop it. When I was 

 about to untie the string, the General put up bis 

 hand to prevent it, and soon as he couM speak 

 saiil ' more.' 



Mrs Washington still uneasy lest too much blood 

 should be t.aken, it WuS stopped after about half 

 a pint had been taken. Finding that no relief 

 was obtained from bleeding, and that nothing 

 conid be swallowed, I proposed bathing the 

 throat externally with sal volatile, which was done ; 

 a |)iece of flannel was then put round his neck. 

 His feet were also soaked in warm water, but 

 gave no relief. By Mrs Washington's request I 

 despatched a messenger for Doctor Brown at Port 

 Tobasco. About 9 o'clocl^ Doct. Craik arrived, 

 and Diit a blister of cantbarides on the throat of 

 the General, and took tnnre blood, and bail some 

 vinegar and hot water set in the lea pot fur him 

 to draw in the steam from the nose. 



He also had sage tea ami vincjrar ini.xed and 

 used as a gargle, but when he Indd bis head lo let 

 it run down, it all most produced suffocation. 

 When the iiiixiure came out of his iiinnth some 

 phlegm followed it, anil he wnuld atlempl to cough 

 which the Doctor encouraged, but without effect. 

 About 11 o'clock, Doct. Dick was sent for. Doct. 

 Craik bled the General again, no effect was pro- 

 duced, and he cohliniied In ihe same stale, unalile 

 to swallow anyiliiog. Doct. Dick came in ahont 

 3 o'clock, and Doct. lirowii arrived soon after ; 

 when, afier coiisultalion, the General was Ided 

 again, the blood ran slowly, appeared very thick 

 and did not produce any symptoms of fainting. 

 .\t 4 o'clock the Gemral could swallow a little. 

 Calomel anil tartar cmi-lic were adiiiinisiereil with, 

 out effect. About half past 4 o'clock he ilesired 

 me to ask Mrs Washington to come to his bed 

 side, when he di-sireil her logo dmvn to his room, 

 and take from his desk two Wills which she would 

 find there, and bring ihcm to him, which she diu ; 

 upon looking at one, which he observed was use. 

 less, he desired her to burn it, which she did, and 

 then took the other and put it away ; afler this 

 was done 1 ri'turned a'.'ain to his bed side and 

 took his hand : He said to me, ' IJind I am goitit; 

 — mij breath cannot continue loner ; I believed from 

 the first attack it would befntnl. Do you arrange and ] 

 record all mi/ mititiri/ htlers and papers ; arrange' 

 my accounts and settle my books, as yuu know more 

 bleeding the people, might be sent for to bleed | (i6ou< Mem //la;! ani/ one t/sc ; and let Mr Rawlins ' 

 him before the Doctor could arrive. 1 n-as sent \finish recording my other letters, ichich he has begun.' \ 



for went lo the General's chamber, where Mrs! He asked when Mr Lewis and Washington would I 



Washington was up, and related to me his being return ? I told him, I believed about the 20th of , 

 taken ill between 2 and 3 o'clock, as hef.ire stat- the month — He made no reply lo it. The physi- 

 cd. I found him breathing with difficulty, and ! cians again came in (between .5 and 6 o'clock,) and 

 hardly able to utter a word intelligibly. I went i when they came to Ids bedside, Dr Craik asked 

 out inst. ntly and wrote a line to Doctor Plask, ' him if he would sit up in the bed : he held out his 

 and sent it with all speed. Immediately I re- hand to me and was raised up, when he said to 

 turned to the General's chamber, where I found the physicians — ' I feel myself going ; you had bet- 

 him in the same situation I had left hira. A mix- i ter not take any more trouble about me, but let me go 

 ture of molasses, vinegar and butter, was iire-' off quietly ; I cannot last long.' They found what 



Sept. 14. 1S31. 



had been done was without effect; he laid down 

 again, and they retired, excepting Dr Craik. He 

 then said to him — ' Doctor, 1 die hard, but 1 am 

 "ot afraid to go ; I believed from my first attack! 

 should not survive it ; my breath cannot last long.'' 

 The Doctor pressed his hand, but could not utter ' 

 a word ; he retired fioni the bedside and sat by / 

 the fire, absorbed in grief. About 8 o'clock, the | 

 physicians again came into the room, and applied 

 blisters lo his legs ; but went out wiihout a ray of ' 

 hope. From this time he appeared to breathe with 

 less difficulty tiian he had done ; but. was very 

 restless, continually changing his position, to en- 

 deavor to get ease. I aiileil him all in my power, 

 and was gratified in believing he felt it, for he 

 would look upon me with eyes speaking gratitude, 

 but unable to utter a word without great distress. 

 .\bont 10 o'chick he made several attempts to 

 sper.k to me before he could effect it ; at length 

 he said — '■lam just going. Have me decently 

 buried ; and do not let my body be put into ihe vault 

 I in less than two days afler I am dead.' I bowed 

 a.ssent. Ho looked at me again and said—' Do 

 you understand me ?' I replied — ' Yes, sir.' ' "Tia 

 well,' said he. About ten minutes before he ex- 

 pired, his breathing became much easier — he lay 

 qnieily — he withdrew his hand from mine and 

 felt his own pulse. I spoke to Doctor Craik, who 

 sat by the fire ; he came to the bed side. The 

 General's hand fell from his wrist ; I took it in 

 mine and placed it on ii^ breast. Doctor Craik 

 placed his bands over his eyes ; and he ex|)ired 

 wiihout a struggle or a sigh. 



While we were fixeil in silent grief, Mrs Wash- 

 ington asked in a firm and collected voice — ' Is he 



Cocoons Wanted. 

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Dedhaiii, July lolh, 1831. 8t Jnly 20. 



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