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R. L. Cone

Died, in this city, on May 7th, 1864, R. L. Cone, aged about 22 years.

Mr. Cone was a member of the Syracuse colony, was from Chenango Co., New York, and reached here on the evening of the 29th of April. We learn from Mr. Tibbits, who came here in company with him, that Mr. C. first began to be indisposed at Sioux City, where by some means, he contracted a severe cold. Although suffering from its effects when he arrived at Yankton, anticipating nothing serious, he made arrangements to commence work on the following week; and on Tuesday was engaged in plowing the entire day. Wednesday found him unable to resume his labors and instead of getting better, he began rapidly to grow worse. Thursday and Friday he was delerius most of the time; while from his physician we learn his symptoms, in many respects strongly indicated a disease that has prevailed to some extent in the Northern States for the past two years, commonly termed spotted fever.

He died on Saturday morning about two o'clock, and on last Sabbath his funeral was held at the Capitol building. The services were conducted by the Rev. M. Hoyt, and a sermon preached from John 11th chapter and 25 verse.

The attendance upon the occasion was unusually large, and deeply affecting; rendered doubly so from the fact that the deceased was a stranger in a strange land. He had come here with bright hopes and glowing anticipations to build up for himself here, a name, character, position and home; little dreaming that the youthful Territory selected by him as the sphere of his future operations, would so soon be his last resting place.

Strangers watched over him in sickness, closed his eyes in death; and six young men, strangers too, all about his own age, bore his remains to the silent grave, followed by a long procession of our citizens, all strangers to him. Yet many of them came here under precisely the same circumstances as did the deceased; and for the same noble purpose; leaving fond parents and friends in the East to weep over their absence, and pray for their protection, while braving the dangers and hardships of frontier life. And all who moved "solemn and slow" in that procession, remembering that thus it might have been with them, were prompted to aid in this tribute of respect to a stranger by the divine injunction - "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."

Source: The Dakotian dated Tuesday May 10, 1864:

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