It is always distressing to be distressed over the death of someone who died hundreds of years previous, but people should remember and know how George Washington died, as it was not fair, but then nothing ever was fair for this servant of America, yet George Washington whether General, President or the Planter dying in his bed, was the same Gentleman who neither complained nor flinched from that which was.
It all began on December 12th. The President as was his custom mounted his horse to make his rounds on the farm. He had written what would be his last letter to Alexander Hamilton in approving of his efforts in creating a national Army for America.
It began to snow at 1 o'clock pm, and then hail, and soon after a cold rain which he rode through for two hours.
He returned to Mount Vernon, and postmarked his letters, and sat down to dinner.
His assistant, Mr. Lear, noted the President's hair was damp, and asked if he was wet. The President replied that he was not as his heavy coat had kept him dry.
The morning of the 13th, he complained of a slight sore throat, and did not ride as it was still snowing. He went out in the afternoon to mark some trees which were to be cut down and his hoarseness increased by evening.
He sat down and read the newspapers and chatted with Mrs. Washington during the evening.
Mr. Lear asked him to take some cold medication, but the President would have none of it and stated that the cold could go as it had come.
During the night the President developed a severe chill followed by difficulty in breathing. Between to 2 am and 3 am he awoke Mrs. Washington, but would not allow her to leave the bed to bring the servants for fear of her getting a chill.
At dawn, Mr. Lear was summoned and sent for Dr. Craik, as the President was breathing with difficulty and having trouble speaking.
Mr. Washington was bled by one of the overseers ineffectually in the interim.
Between 8 and 9 am, Dr. Craik and two other physicians arrived, and administered medicines and bled the President again.
At a quarter past 4, the President called Mrs. Washington to his bedside and asked for two wills from the desk. He examined them, ordered on to be destroyed and the other was placed into Mrs. Washington's keeping.
He shortly thereafter told Mr. Lear to arrange his papers and gave other instructions, for the President thought he would soon die.
Mr. Lear replied that he hoped the event would not soon come, and George Washington smiled and replied, that he was certainly dying and it was a debt that all must pay.
What was affecting President Washington was an edima or Oedematous Laryngitis which is rare and fatal. It was simply that his throat was swelling shut due to tissue fluids and he was being strangled in this constriction.
In the 1850's a tracheotomy would be performed to treat this, as it only requires air to meet the lungs, and in three days the tissues usually abate, and the trachea tube is removed and the patient recovers.
With President Washington though in his extremely fit constitution like President Reagan, the end did not come easy nor fast. He was suffocating and Mr. Lear tried to help him sit up often to assist in breathing and the President was worried he was exhausting his assistance, and hoped that when Mr. Lear needed aid, that he too would be rewarded with human kindness.
The President told all the servants and doctors who were standing all day to sit down and added that he was dying hard.
When other physicians came in to help lift him up, the President thanked them, but asked that they trouble themselves any more about him, as he thought he would soon pass.
It would be hours and at 10 pm, he spoke to Lear and told him that he would soon be dead. He ordered Lear that his body would not be put into the vault less than three days after he died.
The President asked if Lear understood, and when Lear replied yes, George Washington spoke his last words in, "Tis well".
Lear would not that President Washington would last take his pulse and in counting the pulse, that the President's countenance changed and his hand dropped back.
President Washington had died the way he had lived, with dignity, quiet reserve and consideration of others.
George Washington was the most passionate of men, and the most reserved as he strove to control his emotions. He was just and fair to friend and enemy alike, patient and forebearing. He was every bit the attributes and quality ever person would mark to emulate a part of their lives.
His death distresses me, as no fiery chariots came. He deserved that. Of all Presidents he had no equal, and few were they that could be listed in the same breath as following George Washington in greatness.
If you would assemble a President in goodness of Ronald Reagan, the vigor of Theodore Roosevelt, the military fire of Andrew Jackson, the clear sighted foreign and domestic vision of Richard Nixon and the quiet familiar suffering devotion of Abraham Lincoln, this would be the partial sum of the parts of this greatest America in George Washington.
I wonder in reflection of the mould of George Washington was broken and each who followed was but a greater and lesser shard of this Gentleman.
agtG
