The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-06-19
eOTTUMWA, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, JUNE Ia 1861.

ering armies, Who shall withhold the MOURN
ful tribute to the illustrious dead,
1t is for this purpose, that we have come
to this place, surrounded with the drapery
Of public mourning, to speak Of him, who,
in the vigor Of early manhood, without hav.
ing as yet attained the full maturity Of his
powers, though bending under the weighty
laurels Of well Learned fame, has descended
to his rest 1t Is with these feelings, that,
in imagination, we approach his uncovered
grave, and gazing, with fond eye and melting
heart, upon the great dead. exclaim, in the
bitterness Of our anguish, "Oh God that
thou hadst let this bitter cup pass from usr
At all times it is fit and proper that we
should rccite the noble qualities of the Illus
tious departed, for it is by such exercises
that nations regenerate and, perpetuate their
early virtues, but especially at this time,
when the rich price of national Liberty, won
by the blood and toll of our fathers, seems
about slipping from our grasp, and this great
Republic tremhles under the fitful throes Of
angry revolution, does 1t become us to speak
of him, whose eventful life is patriotically
blended with the rich glories OF the past, and
in whose death, the nation loses its firmest
and most influential supporter and defender.
The deceased was fortunate in his lineage
and In the period Of his nativity, in the age
and country in which he lived, and in the
incidents as well as the occasions of his pub.
lie service" In his death he was glorions.
In the hour of contest and strife-when war
was waging between Great Britain and the
United States-at time when the infant Re.
public, trusting in the justice of her cause,
had risked her all and thrown the sword In
the balance, to preserve the sacred principle,
that an American citizen, no matter where
he might be, who sto cd upon an American
deck, was to be secured at all hazards in the
great rights guaranteed by the Constitution
of his country-in the midst of this struggle,
at the town Of Brandon in the county Of
Rutland and State Of Vermont, en- the 22d
day Of April, 1918, was born Stephen A.
Douglas. His father died while his son was
but two months old, and it was left to
mother, OF eminent excellence, "to direct the
early years and education Of him, who was
to render her own name immortal "'i' 15
She lives and mourns to-day for her only
son, who has passed away in the summer Of
his glory, and over whose bier the nation
mournfuly bends to drop the unavailing tear
From the rooms Of the Chicago Historical
Society, Chicago paper Of opposite political
views, obtains the following interesting facts
in his genealogy, dating back to the sew
enth generation and beginning with the first
representative of the family in America,
which I here produce: 8a#u 81
First Generation. Mr.. William Doug
las of Boston, Massachusetts,. A. ID. 164O.-.
Married Ann, daughter OF Thomas Marble.
of Kingstead. Northamptonshire, England.
The birth of their son William Is recorded
at Boston as the 81 (2) 1645" I. e. March l,
l645. The family afterwards removed and
settled at New London, Conn. where Mr.
William Douglas was one Of the leading men
OF the colony, Deacon of the Church, Rep
resentative in the Colonial Legislature in
1872, and during King Phillips Indian war
was appointed comnsissarv Of the army -
The following from Gcv Bradstreet's Jour
nal gives the date of his death: 1862, july
26tb, Mr. William Douglas, one of We deacons
of this Church, died in We 72d year of his
age" He was an able Christian and this
poor church will much miss him" "4i
Second Gsneration. His son, William
Douglas, born as above, married December
18th; 1857, Abiah Hough, daughter of Mr.
William Hough. Of New London, Conn,
(who was a son of Edward Hough, of West
Chester, Cheshire. England,) by whom he
had sons and daughters.
Third Generotion. OF these sons, the
oldest, William Douglas, was born April
10Th, 1872, and removed to Rlainfield, Conn,
where he was a deacon In the church. By
his wife Sarah, he had 8 sons and 8 daugh-
ters.
: Fourth Generation The youngest Of
these children was Asa Douglas, born Dec
11th, 17l5. Asa Douglas. by his wife Re
becca. had sons and 6 daughters. He. died
Nov 18th. 1872. e.fl,.8a ~
Fifth Generation. The twelfth child of
Asa and Rebecca Douglas was Benajah
Douglas, born May 10th. 1852. He married
Patty Arnold, daughter Of Stephen Arnold,
Esq. Tt@s3 a''i s baa
SirtA Generation. The father of our late
Senator was Stephen Arnold Douglas. son Of
Benajah and Patty Douglas, as above. He
was born in the State of New York, and
was physician Of considerable rcpute. He
died suddenly Of apopiexy in 1918, when
his son (Stephen Arnold) was only two
months DID, ,,
It appears from this interesting recital that
Senator Douglas came Of distinguished
Ruritsn stock The indomitable energy
Of his character, and the iron win which
made him always mastar of circumstances,
mark, him linea descendant of the May.
flower" s fiaa aes a.9f" s!'1
The same paper further proceeds in the
following summary Of the events Of his life
which ! also produce on account ofits brcvi.
ty:
brought up on farm under his mothers
care, and receiving common school educa
ton he desired, at the age offifteen. to pre-
pare for college. His family being unable to
defray theexpense. he LEFT the farm and ap-
prenticed himself to cabinet maker at Mid.
dlebury, where he lahored year and half
He then entered An acadamy at brandon
where he studied another year. His mother
having married Mr.. Granger of Ontario Co.
N. T., Stephen removed with her to Canaan
daigua where he entered an academy. lie
remained at Canandaigua two years and
half, studying law at the same time that he
acquired his acAdemical education In the