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| Washington,
George (1732-1799) |
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"'Tis well." |
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George Washington was a hero of the
American Revolution
and the first
President of the United States. Some have claimed that Washington
requested a Bible with his dying breath, but neither his doctors nor
his
private secretary recorded any such request, and they were all with him
until the moment he died. Washington did tell one of his
physicians,
"Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go. My breath cannot
last long." A short time later, he expressed concern that he not
be buried alive, "I am just going. Have me decently buried, and
do
not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I
am
dead. Do you understand?" "Yes, sir," the doctor
replied.
"'Tis well," answered Washington. |
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| Webster,
Daniel (1782-1852) |
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"I still live." |
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Daniel Webster was a U.S. statesman and
lawyer who
became well known
throughout the nation for his exceptional oratory and impassioned
defense
of the Constitution. |
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| Wells,
Herbert George "H. G." (1866-1946) |
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"Go away. I'm all right." |
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H. G. Wells was an English writer and
social
theorist. One of
his time's most influential writers, he, along with Jules Verne, is
credited
with inventing Science Fiction. His best known novels, The
Invisible
Man, The Time Machine, and The War of the Worlds are
still frequently read today, and his one-volume history of the world is
recognized as the best ever compiled by a single author. |
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| Wirz,
Henry, Captain, C.S.A. (?-1865) |
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"This is too tight." |
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Captain Wirz was a Swiss-born Confederate
officer who
had the misfortune
to be given command of the infamous Andersonville prison camp following
his recovery from wounds received at the Battle of Seven Pines.
Thousands
of Union prisoners died from the poor conditions at Andersonville (as
they
did at nearly every other Civil War prison camp). Following the
war,
Wirz was tried for conspiring to "impair and injure the health
and
to destroy the lives of large numbers of Federal prisoners at
Andersonville"
and ordering or personally committing acts of assault or murder.
Despite a complete lack of evidence Wirtz was convicted and hung. |
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| Wolfe,
James, General (1727-1759) |
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"What, do they run already? Then
I die
happy." |
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General James Wolfe was the British
General that
wrested Quebec away
from the French in 1759. His victory made the subsequent British
conquest of Canada possible. A fine commander, Wolfe was, none
the
less, killed during the battle and became a legendary hero. |
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information:
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| Ziegfeld,
Florenz (1869-1932) |
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"Curtain! Fast music!
Lights!
Ready for the last
finale! Great! The show looks good. The show looks
good." |
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Florenz Ziegfeld was a famous Broadway
producer whose
musical reviews
featured fantastic sets and beautiful women. He died
hallucinating
that he was directing one last show. |
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In the 1936 Oscar winning movie, The
Great Ziegfeld,
William
Powell plays the producer, and Ziegfeld's last words are "I've got to
have
more steps. I need more steps. I've got to get
higher.
Higher." |
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Recommended viewing:
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| Zizka,
Jan (1358-1424) |
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"Make my skin into drumheads for the
Bohemian cause." |
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Jan Zizka was a Czech general who, after
the execution
of Jan
Huss, became the leader of the Bohemian Protestants. He
refused
to accept the Holy Roman Emperor, Sigismund, as the king of Bohemia
even
though he was offered a viceroyalty. Zizka fought a series of
battles
against the empire and eventually liberated the entire country.
He
entered Prague in June, 1424, but his success was short lived. He
died of bubonic plague later that year. |
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