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Great newspaper on the death of George Washington...
Great newspaper on the death of George Washington...
Item # 687601
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December 27, 1799
MASSACHUSETTS MERCURY, Boston, December 27, 1799 All four page are in wide, black "mourning" rules due to the death of George Washington.
The first column of page 2 includes: "Respecting The DEATH Of The ILLUSTRIOUS WASHINGTON" which includes in part: "...his loss is felt with a poignancy of grief which no other misfortune could have caused..." with more.
Then a report from the Speaker of the House, John Marshall (later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court) which reads: "Mr. Speaker, Information has just been received that our Illustrious Fellow Citizen, the Commander in Chief of the American Army, and the late President of the United States, is no more. Tho' this distressing intelligence is not certain, there is too much reason to believe its truth..." with more.
Then: "The following Message was received from the President: PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. Gentleman of the House of Representatives. The letter herewith transmitted will inform you that it has pleased Divine Providence to remove from this life, our excellent fellow citizen GEORGE WASHINGTON..." with more, signed in type: John Adams.
Also is the very desired & notable letter from Washington's personal secretary, dated at Mount Vernon, Dec. 16, 1799, which begins: "It is with inexpressible grief, that I have to announce to you the death of the great and good General Washington. He died last evening, between 10 and 11 o'clock after a short illness of about 24 hours. His disorder was an inflammatory sore throat which proceeded from a cold...Dr. Dick attended him in the morning, and Dr. Craik, of Alexandria, and Dr. Brown, of Port Tobacco, were soon after called. Every medical assistance was offered but without the desired effect...Not a groan nor a complaint escaped him...With perfect resignation, and a full possession of his reason, he closed his well spent life." signed in type: Tobias Lear.
Additional reports with other details are presented in columns 2 and 3, too much to list here but which can be seen in the photos.
One very curious item is one of the Resolves from Congress in honoring Washington which reads: "That a committee in conjunction with one from the Senate be appointed to consider on the most suitable manner of paying honor to the member of the man FIRST IN WAR, FIRST IN PEACE, and FIRST in the HEARTS of his Countrymen."
This statement has been credited to General Henry Lee, chosen by Congress to write a eulogy, which was presented to Congress on December 28. But this phrase appears in this Boston newspaper on December 27.
As if the above was not sufficient for one issue, page 3 has a rather dramatic, bordered report: "To the Members of the Society of Cincinnati... Gen. WASHINGTON, our President, is DEAD ! " with a bit more. This is followed by a similarly bordered notice: "ATTENTION! At a Meeting of the Boston Independent Fusiliers...Voted Unanimously, that the Company wear their Uniform complete with proper Mourning...as a token of veneration and respect to the Memory of that Great Patriot and Hero, the late General GEORGE WASHINGTON."
A wonderful issue on the death of Washington.
Four pages, never-trimmed margins with original deckle edges, in great condition.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
No Longer Available
