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"Jefferson still (survives)"

- the last words of John Adams on July 4, 1826 - 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. It would be the day two American patriots would finally succumb to the tribulations of life.

MORE: [Asked by Mrs. Clark if he knew what day it was.] "Oh, yes; it is the glorious Fourth of July. It is a great day. It is a good day. God bless it. God bless you all." [He then lapsed into unconsciousness. He awakened later, and mumbled] "Thomas Jefferson...." [This is often reported as the beginning of the sentence "Thomas Jefferson still survives," but this cannot be held reliable. If this is indeed what John Adams was saying, he was wrong. He spoke the words at the approximate time of Jefferson's actual death; Jefferson preceded Adams in death by a couple of hours.]