The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-07-28
Obituary.

GeN. .JouN A. QUlTMAN died on the
morning of the 18th July, at his resi-
dence near Natchez, Miss, of disease
contracted at the National Hotel,
Washington. He was q brave, frank,
honest, highminded statesman.
JoHE A. QUrTMAN, was born about
sixty years ago, in Duchess County, N.
Y, where his father was the pastor OF a
Dutch Reformed church. Slavery ex-
listed in our State throughout his child
hood and youth, and was one of the "pe:
ciliar iDstitutions"of his paternal homei
SO that we have heard Gen. Q. remark
that he never lived in any other than a
Slave State. He migrated in early
m manhood to the South, and became a
Mississippi planter. He Joined in the
general support of Gen. jackson for
President, but abandoned him with Mr..
Calhoun, and was for years known as a
state Rights Wing" As such, he
supported Gen. Harrison for President
in 1910, andEwe think was once a Wing
candidate for Congress, or Governor, or
both. When Mr.. Calhoun returned to
the Democracy, he was accompanied or
soon followed by Gen. Quitman. The
latter shrunk, however, from following
his party into the gulf of Republication,
and was once run for a high post on the
Bond paying Democratic ticket, which
had few supporters. But, though thus
repeatedly defeated as a candidate tor
Office, Mr.. Quitman was steadily grow
ing in the esteem and confidence of his
fellow citizens.
In 1857, he volunteered for the
Mexican War, and was appointed by
President Polk a Major General. In
this capacity, he was prominently en-
gagged in most or all of the s%anguinary
actions which Immediately preceded the
capture of the Mexican capital, of which,
on its surrender, he was made Governor.
hough widely differing in their politi-
cal views, he loved and honored his su-
perior, Gen. Scott, by whom his corf
dence was fully reciprocated. In the
ranks of the political Generals who in
trigued to deprive Gen. Scott Of lis
command, and to tarnish his proud lau-
reIs, Quitman was not found.
Returning to Mississippi, Gen: Quit
man devoted his time to his family, his
plantation, and the construction of a
Railroad, until nominated for Congress
in 1865, when, after a spirited canvass,
he was elected by about two thousand
majority full party vote, and some
thing more. Repairing duly to Wash
ington, he, though a new Member and
one of the most ultra Nebraska men,
was designated by speaker Banks, whose
election he had opposed to the last, for
| the important post Of Chairman of the
Committee on Military Affairs, a pest
| of which he discharged the duties with
eminent ability. He was reelected
last Fall without opposition. and of
course continued by Speaker Orr in the
post assigned him by a political antago-
mist. His death of course vacates a
| seat in the House, and the Chairman
ship of the Committee. Gen. Quitman
was but moderately fluent as a debater,
but always spoke tersely and to the
point. Re was the foremost man in
Congress of the Fire EATERS" or "Chiv-
alryn-one who did not need to flight
duels to establish his reputation for cour-
age-quiet and unassuming in manner,
uniearsally esteemed by those who knew
him, and the fttest man of his school
for the Presidency. Unlike majority
of the DISCLAIMERS for Slavery in Con-
gress, he really believed in it, and hence
did not find it necessary to make hall
so much noise about it as some others
His death leaves a void that will not
o be flled.-N. Y. Express.