wished the ceremony to be postponed 'till the last of the week, to give time to some of the General's Relations to be here. But Dr. Craik & Dr. Thornton gave it decidedly as their opinion that, considering the disorder of which the General died, being of an inflammatory kind, it would not be proper, nor perhaps safe to keep the body so long, and therefore Wednesday was fixed upon for the funeral, to allow a day (Thursday) in case the weather should be unfavorable on Wednesday.

MONDAY, Dec. 16.-People were directed to open the [family] Vault, clean away the rubbish from about it & make everything decent around it.— [Ordered a door to be made to the Vault, instead of closing it again with brick, as had been the custom. Engaged Mr. Inglis and Mr. Munn to have a mahogany coffin made, lined with lead.]

Dr. Craik, Mr. Peter & Dr. Thornton left us after breakfast.— Mrs. Stuart and her two daughters came here in the forenoon.— Mr. Anderson went to Alexa. to get a number of things preparatory for the funeral.-Mourning clothes were ordered for the family, domestics, & overseers.

Information being received from Alexa. that the Military, Free Masons, &c., were determined to show their respect to the memory of the General, by attending his body to the grave-measures were taken to make provision for the refreshments of a large number of people, as some refreshment wd be expected. Mr. Robt Hamilton wrote a letter informing that a schooner of his would be off Mt. Vernon to fire minute guns on the funeral of the deceased. -Gave notice of the time fixed for the burial to the following persons by Mrs. Washington's desire.-Mr. Mason & family-Mr. Peake & family-Mrs. Peake-Mr. Nichols & family-Mr. McCarty & family-Miss McCarty-Mr. & Mrs. McClanahan-Lord Fairfax & family-Mr. Triplett & family—Mr. Anderson & family -Mr. Diggs-Mr. Cockburn & family—L. W. (?) Massey & family, [and Mr. R. West.]

I wrote also to the Rev. Mr. Davis to read the services.—

Mrs. Washington desired that a door might be made for the Vault, instead of having it closed up as formerly, after the body should be deposited-observing--" That it will soon be necessary to open it again.."

TUESDAY, Dec. 17.-Every preparation for the mournful ceremony was making.-Mr. Diggs came here in the forenoon, and also Mr. Stewart Adjutant to the Alexa. Regt. to view the ground for the procession.-About one o'clk the Coffin was brought from Alexa. in a stage.-Mr. Inglis the Cabinet maker, and Mr. W. Munn, the plumber came with it, also Mr. Grater, with the Shroud. The body was laid in the Coffin, at which time I cut off some of the General's hair for Mrs. Washington.—

The Mahogany Coffin was lined with lead, soddered at the joints -and a cover of lead to be soddered on after the body should be in the Vault-The whole put into a case lined & covered with black cloth.

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18.-About II o'clk numbers of persons began to assemble to attend the funeral, which was intended to have been at twelve o'clk; but as a great part of the Troops expected could not get down in time it did not take place till 3.— Eleven pieces of Artillery were brought down [from Alexandria]. -And a Schooner belonging to Mr. R. Hamilton came down and lay off Mt. Vernon to fire minute guns.-The Pall holders were as follow-Colonels Little, (Charles) Simms, Payne, Gilpin, Ramsay, & Marsteller-and Colo. Blackburne walked before the Corps. [Col. Deneal marched with the military.]

[About three o'clock the procession began to move.] Col. Little, Simms & Deneal and Dr. Dick formed the arrangements of the Procession-[The procession moved out through the gate at the left wing of the house, and proceeded round in front of the lawn, and down to the vault on the right wing of the house.] which was as follows-The Troops-Horse & foot-Music playing a Solemn dirge with muffled Drums.-The Clergy-viz The Revd. Mr. Davis-Mr. (James) Muir, Mr. Moffatt, & Mr. Addison-[The General's horse, with his saddle, holsters, and pistols, led by two grooms, Cyrus and Wilson, in black] The Body borne by officers & masons who insisted upon carrying it to the grave. The Principal Mourners-viz. Mrs. Stuart & Mrs. Law-Misses Nancy & Sally Stuart-Miss Fairfax & Miss Dennison-Mr. Law & Mr. Peter-Doctor Craik & T. Lear-Lord Fairfax & Ferdinando Fairfax-Lodge No. 23.-Corporation of

Alexandria. All other persons, preceded by Mr. Anderson, Mr. Rawlins, the Overseers, &c., &c.

The Rev. Mr. Davis read the service & made a short extemporary speech-The Masons performed their ceremonies-and the Body was deposited in the Vault-All then returned to the House & partook of some refreshment-and dispersed with the greatest good order & regularity-The remains of the Provision were distributed among the Blacks.—Mr. Peter, Dr. Craik & Dr. Thornton tarried here all night.

PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE LATE ILLNESS AND DEATH OF GEORGE WASHINGTON.

ALEXANDRIA, 21 December, 1799.

Some time in the night of Friday, the 10th instant, having been exposed to a rain on the preceding day, General Washington was attacked with an inflammatory affection of the upper part of of the windpipe, called in technical language Cynache Trachealis. The disease commenced with a violent ague, accompanied with some pain in the upper and forepart of the throat, a sense of stricture in the same part, a cough, and a difficult, rather than painful deglutition, which was soon succeeded by fever and a quick and laborious respiration. The necessity of blood-letting suggesting itself to the General, he procured a bleeder in the neighborhood, who took from his arm in the night twelve or fourteen ounces of blood. He could not by any means be prevailed on by the family to send for the attending physician till the following morning, who arrived at Mount Vernon at about 11 o'clock on Saturday. Discovering the case to be highly alarming, and foreseeing the fatal tendency of the disease, two consulting physicians were immediately sent for, who arrived, one at half after three, and the other at four o'clock in the afternoon in the mean time were employed two pretty copious bleedings, a blister was applied to the part affected, two moderate doses of calomel were administered, which operated on the

lower intestines, but all without any perceptible advantage, the respiration becoming still more difficult and distressing. Upon the arrival of the first of the consulting physicians, it was agreed, as there were yet no signs of accumulation in the bronchial vessels of the lungs, to try the result of another bleeding, when about thirty-two ounces of blood were drawn, without the smallest apparent alleviation of the disease. Vapours of vinegar and water were frequently inhaled, ten grains of calomel were given, succeeded by repeated doses of emetic tartar, amounting in all to five or six grains, with no other effect than a copious discharge from the bowels. The powers of life seemed now manifestly yielding to the force of the disorder; blisters were applied to the extremities, together with a cataplasm of bran and vinegar to the throat. Speaking, which was painful from the beginning, now became almost impracticable; respiration grew more and more contracted and imperfect, till half after 11 on Saturday night, retaining the full possession of his intellect-when he expired without a struggle.

He was fully impressed at the beginning of his complaint, as well as through every succeeding stage of it, that its conclusion would be mortal; submitting to the several exertions made for his recovery, rather as a duty, than from any expectation of their efficacy. He considered the operations of death upon his system as coeval with the disease; and several hours before his death, after repeated efforts to be understood, succeeded in expressing a desire that he might be permitted to die without further interruption.'

During the short period of his illness, he economized his time, in the arrangement of such few concerns as required his attention, with the utmost serenity; and anticipated his approaching dissolution with every demonstration of that equanimity

"After it became impossible to get anything down his throat, he undressed himself and went to bed, there to die, and to his friend and physician, Doctor Craik, who sat on his bed, and took his head in his lap, he said with difficulty: 'Doctor, I am dying, and have been dying for a long time, but I am not afraid to die.'"-Marshall, Life of Washington, based upon a private letter from Dr. Craik.

for which his whole life has been so uniformly and singularly conspicuous.

I have the painful task of communicating to you information of the death of your much revered Uncle, General Washington. He died last evening about 11 o'clock, after a severe illness of about 20 hours. His complaint was an inflammatory sore throat, commonly called the Quincy.-Every aid that medicine could give, was had; but without effect. Dr. Craik & Dr. Dick of Alexa. & Dr. Brown of Port Tobacco were here.-He died as he lived.-Fortitude in extreme pain & composure at his latest breath never left him, & he retained his reason to the last moment. You are appointed one of his Executors in conjunction with Messr. Bushrod Washington, George S. Washington, Saml. Washington, Lawrence Lewis & G. W. P. Custis.

1 "I have lately met Dr. Dick again, in consultation, and the high opinion I formed of him when we were in conference at Mt. Vernon last month, concerning the situation of our illustrious friend, has been confirmed.

"You remember how, by his clear reasoning and evident knowledge of the causes of certain symptoms, after the examination of the General, he assured us that it was not really quinsey, which we supposed it to be, but a violent inflammation of the membranes of the throat, which it had almost closed, and which, if not immediately arrested, would result in death.

"You must remember he was averse to bleeding the General, and I have often thought that if we had acted according to his suggestion when he said, 'he needs all his strength-bleeding will diminish it,' and taken no more blood from him, our good friend might have been alive now. But we were governed by the best light we had; we thought we were right, and so we are justified."-Dr. Brown to Dr. Craik, 2 January, 1800.