Edward L. Pierce, Memoir and letters of Charles Sumner: volume 4

Sir Frederick Bruce,¹ the successor of Lord Lyons as British minister at washington, was of a family with whom Sumner had long maintained cordial relations. He was the brother of the Earl of Elgin, former governor-general of Canada, and of Lady Augusta, wife of Dean Stanley. Sumner had also been kindly received in Paris in 1858-1859 by their mother, the Dowager Lady Elizabeth Bruce. Sir Frederick came to Washington just before Mr. Lincoln's death, and from his arrival was on terms of intimacy with Sumner. Coming North in the summer, he arrived in Boston from Narragansett Pier at 9 P. M., Sept. 18, 1867, suffering, as he reached the city, with a throat affection, which skilful physicians,—Dr. Bigelow being one of them,—who were called to his lodgings at the Tremont House, saw at once would prove fatal. Sumner, his only friend in the city, being sent for, arrived at eleven, and was recognized by the sufferer. Sumner was with him till his death, at two the next morning, holding his hand and closing his eves at the last moment. He superintended the arrangments for the funeral, was the first pall-bearer, and saw the remains deposited for temporary interment in the mortuary vault under Trinity Church. Seward wrote all affectionate letter to Sumner, who had communicated to him the tidings, thanking him with a full heart for ‘giving him the last that was and is to be on earth of our noble, loyal, genial friend, Sir Frederick.’ From the family and the British Legation Sumner received grateful acknowledgments. Lady Augusta Stanley, her husband, and Thomas Charles Bruce wrote letters in tender recognition of his offices, grateful that one whom they had long known and honored was with their brother in his last hours. The dean, when the remains had been deposited in the ancient burial-place of the Bruces in Scotland, sent Sumner a picture of the Abbey Church at Dunfermline, where, as he said, on the day of interment, ‘the eye rested on the Frith of Forth, the distant hills, and the Castle ’