Newbern weekly progress. [volume] (Newbern, N.C.) 1858-1863, 1861-07-23
VOLUME III.
Dea n Of Governor Eills-BiO-
graphical Sketch-Funerai Obse-

| The following full and very just tribute to
| the life and history of our late distinguished
Chief Magistrate is from the Raleigh StGnd@rd,
and considering the political relations which
have existed between the Editor of the Stand
ard and Governor Ellis all must admit that the
notice does great credit to the head and heart
of Mr. Holden:
| Having received no official or positive informa
nation othe. than the rumor OF dIspasehes re-
ceived in this city, of the death of Gov Ellis up
to the issue of the last Standard we nesltated to
prepare suitable sketch of the departed, and to
| put our columns in mouI ming, because OF the an
| certainty recently attending rumors and uispaicn-
| es Subsequent events prove that the meian-
| cholv announcement was, alas too true, ana we
therefore append such notice now, as the oc-
casion demands, and as cur scanty materials fur-
| nish US.
! John Willis Ellis was born 1920 in the Jer
sew settlement, in Davidson County in this
| State. of highly respectable parents. After the
| usual prepar atory studies, he entered Randolph
Macon College. Va. and from thence to the Uni
yersty of this State, where he graduated In lo4i.
| He subsequently studied law under the present
! { Chief Justice Pearson and commenced its prac-
tice in the town of Salisbury, in 1872 or 43 In
| 1874 he was elected to the House of Commons
from Rowan. During this year he was married
! to an excellent lady, the accomplished daughter
of Philo White, Esq, then of Brooklyn, N. y
who lived but short time after her marriage
| He continded to represent the county OF Rowan
| in the House of Commons, until lo4S, when he
! was elected one of the Judges OF the Superior
! Courts, then in his 29th year. and the youngest
man at that time who had been called to that
! post in State. He continued to Nil the once
! of Judge until he was elected Novernor OF the
! State in 1858, discharging his duties with com
nendable zeal and ability.
Subsequently to his election to the gubernato-
rial chair he was united in marriage to Miss
Mary Graham Dawes, of Newhern. one of the
ami tble and accomplished daughters OF the late
! John z. Dawes, of that town
! Pending his first term of service as Governor
| but little occurred beyond the usual routine OF
duty to excite public interest. In 1860 he passed
| through an exciting and arduous campaign with
an able competitor John Pool. Esq and was re-
elected by handsome majority. But tls ma
! turally delicate frame, think, received
| shock from this labOrOus task-one demanding
more sacrifice of health and life than ordinary
prudence should demand from any man-from
| which it never recovered.
The succeeding Legislature was long one
and 1t bordered upon exciting and melancholy
events. In his Annual Message. among other
important suggestions, he called the attention OF
the Legislature to the necessity of re organizing
the mill ia aud drntng the Stale and the imminent
hazard of delay. In this view his suggestions
harmonized with the views of this pape and
| they were frankly and promptly endorsed The
Legislature adopted his views, and 1T IS TO De re-
GREETED that the plan adopted should, from amy
cause, have failed of prompt and full execution.
So far as we know, the failure WIS not any fault
nf his. Virginia may We'll bewaii slmIia'
| failure
The pressure of business was too severe 70;
him and the close of the Legislature found him
I emaciwted and 4 trip to Ne" bern and
Wilmington served to brace up his system, aHd
he returned to his duties with renewed energy.
[, has been often said, that Gov. Ellis early
Sympathzed with the South in her present strug-
g'e. This i no doubt strictly true But 1t may
b recorded with eqral truth to his honor, thai
! wi atcvcr might have been his conVIctn n an'i
clings lie held them i'll abeyailce, so tar as his
public acts are concerned to the omnlT ut "lii
of the people of the ST. te. so strongly ant EN-
phatically expressed by them at the ballot box
IN February in tile election of delegates TO the
Convention The crisis in our National affairs
was RAPIDLY approaching its climax. and the Gov
crnor, though feeble and wan. was bracing HIM
self for the task imposed on him by his position,
On the 18th of April last the diabotical Proclaina
ton Of Lincoln fell like thunderb"lt from c:eai
sky upon the country. Then came the insulting
demand from Lincoln for her quota of troops to
suhiugate the South, from n. Carolina. The Gov
ernor seemed at this to rally his remaining E
strength, and gallantly flung back the insult IN
! those burning vs. ords, You can get no troops from
North Carolina!" He promptly caused the occu.
patton of Forts Caswell and Macon. and in good
time without the loss of blood. effected the ia
king of the Arsenal at Fayetteville. He called
on the volunteer troops of the State, and our clti
zens from Cher, kee to Currituck responded with
alacrity These several acts met the hearty and
general appreciation of his fellow-citizens Of the
State and of the South. and by none more hearty
than by this journal and its editor. Anxious to
do what he could in repelling the invader o
Southern SOIL he doubtless taxed his strength fal
beyond what ordinary prudence directed: Ito
ping still to live, he started with his family, on
the 2lst of June. from this city, when unable tt
sit up, to the Red Sulphur Springs, Monroe coun
, ty Va, where we learn he breathed his last OF
Sunday, the 9th inst in the 4lst year of his age
leaving deeply bereaved widow, two interest
! ing children, and numerous trlends to iamen
, his untimely end.
= Dispatches to the Military department in thi
City, announcing the death of Gov Ellis, wer
received we learn, on Monday. 10 o'clock, A.
Immediate preparations were made tor the prope
reception of the remains The melancholy t
\ dincs were received with profound sorrow an
S sympathy by our citizens, though not unexpet
Il ted. Two companies were detailed from Co
e Fishers regiment. to proceed to Petersourg'
meet the body, and escort it to the city. On Iue
p day. the Mayor G. B. Root, Esq called meetin
of the citizens at which he presided A larg
crowd assembled, several gentlemen made apprt
pirate remarks. suitable resolutions were passet
and committee appointed to meet the remain
at the Depot. On Wednesday morning, Nj
S Speaker Clark the acting Governor. arrived.
l. little after o'clock, large crowd received III
mortal remains Of the late Governor, at the depo
l. which were conveyed thence to the capitol
( There the procession was formed in the IL llowl
order: Brig Gen. Gwinn, State Troops, con
! rnanding, aided by Capt. A. D, Moore 9Th Reg
: State Troops, Col FlSner; Ellis LlRnC Artllei
IS Major Ramseur; Hearse with the body: Pa
bearers the Clergy Surgeon General and Me
ical Staff Family and relations, Governor of tt
k State Sneaker of House of Commons, Executi'
I. Officers. General Assembly, Masonic and 9th
N orders, General Staff, Officers of the Navy, OF
y GERS and soldiers not on duty, Committee of
N rangements, Mayor and Board, and citizens,
carriages
The procession passed around the capitol squa
and down Fayetteville street, slowly and witho
music, to the Governors Mansion, where sutae
religious services were performed, as we learn,
Rev. Dr. Mason, Rector of Christ's Church,
this city The procession and crowd retire
N leaving the body in the Mansion until hursda
d. when, accompanied By suitable demonstratio
nr of respect, it was conveyed by special train
70 Holtsburg, Davidson county. aud deposited
., the family cemetery. Capt. r. S, Tucker, and
W. NJ. ,Boylan, Esq, were Marshals of the day I
mark Of respect due the man or the Oht
de occasion. The Capitol bell tolled all day hs
Ii hour guns were fired from the Capitol squa
er from sunrise till sunset. The Capitol,
- Washington monument, the Confederate la
Fayettvie 'et and the Executive Mansl