BURGESS, Charley 1849-1874

BURGESS, HANSON

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 5/3/2023 at 20:12:17

Charley Burgess, whose illness we mentioned last week, is away down at death's door, but there are faint hopes yet that he will not enter the unknown valley. Almost the first question asked every morning for several days past, as one citizen wou'd meet another on the street is, "have you heard how Charley is this morning?" and it is repeated hundreds of times through the day, and shows what anxiety there is about him.

A surgical operation was performed on him last Thursday, by Dr. Taylor, assisted by Dr. Seiler, of this city, and Dr. Andros, of McGregor. They opened the abscess but discovered nothing but serrim and congulated blood in small quantenties. It is a case that greatly puzzles the doctors, they never having had experience with anything like it before, neither is its nature explained in the materia medica.

Before they undertook the operation they were positive the chances of the life of the patient were decidedly slim, yet it was skillfully performed. It is the almost uppermost wish of nearly everybody in this community that Charley may recover, so great is the love and esteem for him, and many a prayer is offered up for him.

~North Iowa Journal, Wednesday, August 5, 1874; pg 3
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Charles Burgess Dead - It is with feelings of sadness that we write this news. Poor Charley is dead. His visits with home folks terminated in a manner not anticipated when he arrived here only a few weeks ago, and was joyously welcomed by his parents and numerous friends. But disease even then had a firm hold upon him, and it was only a matter of brief time for death to claim him.

He died last Friday morning about five o'clock, at the home of his parents in this city, surrounded by a number of his relatives and several friends, whom this sad calamity burdens with an almost unbearable weight of poignant and bitter grief.

He was conscious to almost his last hours, and knew that the hand of death was upon him, yet he was perfectly resigned and calmly looked the grim monster in the face.

His funeral took place on Saturday, and was largely attended. The sermon was preached on Sunday afternoon, at the Congregational church, by Rev. Mr. Hanson, of Chicago, a Universalist minister and a brother of Mrs. Burgess. The deceased was 25 years of age, and an only son.

Elsewhere we print the result of the post mortem examination which revealed the cause of his death.

Post Mortem
A post mortem was made upon the body of Charles Burgess, on Friday last, by Drs. Taylor, Andros and Seiler. The autopsy revealed a disease of the organs and structure of the abdomen of a very serious nature and of long standing. There were extensive adhesions of the peritoneum to abdominal walls, and a large portion of the bowels were firmly adhered also.

Posteriorly the same condition of things presented themselves, and so firmly that they were with difficulty broken down. The extensive adhesion of the intestines, the pressure from abcess, and the great thickening of surrounding walls, causing contraction and a gradual diminishing of the [?caliber] until complete strangulation occurred.

This case was a very interesting one, and in reviewing it in the light of later observations, the general conclusion is that everything was done for the patient's relief that could have been done and that death was sure to mark its victim.

~North Iowa Journal, Wednesday, August 12, 1874; pg 3

Note: Burial is in Oak Hill cemetery. His gravestone:
Charley, son of E. & M. Burgess
6/2/1849 - 08/07/1874