The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-07-25
FUNERAL GRAFTON
Delivered In New Orleans by Lieut.. Colonel
Ad alphus Olivier, at the Obseq uies Of Lieut..
Colonel Charles Didier Dreux.

upon his grave.
1t must have been sad for him to have en-
gagged in this war; and feel the woe which
must have entered his great heart as tAe mem
cries OF his youth, the struggles and triumphs
of other days, crowded thick and fast upon mis-
soul. He venerated, almost idolized, the
American Union; and he looked upon her
gorgeous ensign with the feeling OF the SER
want OF the Lord as bis eyes Were bent On the
pillar of fire as 1t rose in the wilderness He
held the Constitution to be covenant ba
tween universal man and his nation for the
security Of liberty, regulated and determined
by constitutional law. Yet, alas how the
cause for which he SO devoudly labored has
fallen. The Union was becoming hateful to
our people; the name of American was being
lost, or was to be shared with the toe; the flag
of the Republic, desecrated by the rude haDd
of graspiDg power, was being carried in
the van BY mercenary hoIdts; the very
Genius Of Liberty was ferirg the sane.
tuaIies of the Capitol, and methInks it must
havs been with a noise similar to that or the
fapping of wings of the guardian angels as
they hurried from the S0nctum S0nct0rnm as
the honr for the final destruction Of the l-m-
le of erusalem bad toiied ID stimuli 1ngenS mo
tus eredentium the black flag was Casting ITS
shadow upon the brow of the nation and the
musket buis of u hireling soldiery Were ring
ing on the floor Of the Temple of Justice
while the letter OF the Cons LItution gloWe "a
and fl tshed under the very eyes OF those who
had violated its spirit, we Of Louisiana had
suffered and endured tor years the tauuts 81
world was being shaken as regards the capa-
city OF man for self-gOvernneu the de- IT,
nies of freedom and of hum unity had fallen
into the hands OF men, the miserable predi
cants OF cause without creed and without
a faith, until CALLED and forced to choose be-
tween resistance and submit sion, the State
appealing to God, resolved TO BE- free. As these
things We're transplrlng. stretched on the
couch of sickness and suffering, The gloom
which had settled upon my land ciouded II y
aching heart and l saw dark -veieu shapes
rising with the darkness over the holiz III VI
my country, and thought of those who had
been the partners of The trials and Us OF
my youth, and the eye OF my soul saw u
1Uck ct young eagles soaring through the
darkness and mounting upward, and L
thought of him whose remains now lie mould
ering before you. There were then words OF
anger and menace the sel began to dnI Ken
with threatening vessels, our frontiers bis
tied with bayOnets, and Inc tramp OF armt d
men WAS heard on our borders--the South
wi h one voice cred "tO arms" The sli.lt
OF Charles Dreux never could brook snbnlis-
sion 70 wrong when accom- panied with insult
In the full gush OF his youth and OF his useful
ness with the brand of genius, reekii G and
perfu mad, all over him the head OF Young
and dearly beloved family engaged la the
pursuit OF profession, which. wide open be-
fore him, held up 10 his eye the choicest ie
wards and hOnorS +; esteemed and beloved, he
left father, wife, child, brothers and sis tel
bare his breast for his mother Soutn lie
made Louisiana'S cause his own; and the first
IN the lead OF our volunteer troops, and srr-
rOupdt q by his devoted followers, he left the
field. With the firm, elastic steps of the
knightiy warrior he was ascending the
heights of f ma and glory, whah he poured
out his hearts bloc d in a Iibation to l. berty
Born III New Orleans on the IL b OF May
a. ID 1892, Charles DiGier Dreux, from earl
youth, gave promise OF eminent success III
life.
The issue of one of our oldest Creole fami-
fnz toy ri dtas ha
Amherst Coll. g.. NJ ass, then under the su-
perntendency Of Mr Hitchcock, who is now
Peter the Hermit in the unholy crusade
ag inst the South after short vIsi. 10 his
native city, he and bis TWO younger brothers
became Cadets OF the Western Military Insti.
tn te, at Blue Lick Springs. KY becoming g
member OF the Frankfort MiliJ,ry L stitute
his talents and aptitude an officer soon ele.
waited him to the rank of Captain in the ba:
talon. When the Scott campaign fairly
Cpaned, he went with the Ken tucky del z /.
tioI to attend the great Wing Convention al
Niagara, and we have still in our possession
the letter which he wrote Us, In the tull gush
of bis youths success. His return home was
one continuous ovation.
To speak of his career ia New Orleans dur.
ing that canvass would be unnecessary. The
trials and triumphs of those days are green in
the memory and hearts OF the people. His
life as orator. as District Attorney, mem
Der OF the Legislature, Captain ana Lieut.
Col, Is known to all. The versatility or his
;
most facility and correctness the English
French and Spanish languages, while his con-
versation glit'ered and sparkled with the
choicest gems OF classic lore AS Il mtn, none
could know him without being drawn toward
him by irresistible sympathetic influences
his friendship was passions essenCe-ii
kindied aud warm ID you with it's own conge-
NAL heat; did the gloom OF sadness light upon
your soul, like sunshi upon the face OF the
waters would his heart mirror forth its own
sunny hopes in the domes tic circle or the
festive board, the sparkle OF his wit,
his unrivaled powers of illustration cap
tivated the attention OF all near him
his capacity of physical endurance was almost
incomprehehsible;a we laid down side by side
in early youth, or after the long canvassing
day, have often wondered how nature could
have blended such extraOrdinsry faculties in
Que being As an orator he lowered among
his peers; his ceuutenance bespoke the
presence of self-conflding p 'wer his voice at
times was soft and m. ltieg as The memory OF
early days, then filed with III g +kable pa thos;
anon hissingly breathing of irony, then lsud
and laundering as ocean g tongue but when
his countenance would be lit by the glow and
fire of his soul, and his large hazal eye would
dilate and his nostrils expand, as though he
"smelt the b title afar off, then twas noble
sight to see him, and one could appreciate the
gaudta ctrtd,ntnfs as, gladiator like, he rose
and lowered before You in the arena OF politi.
cal discussion. But his was not only the elo-
quence freshly gathered in the fiowery gard.
MS OF rhetoric, 1t was
Like the clear brooks Stone Of luetre, and gave
With the fash of the gem, its soiiiity too.
These remarkable faculties of mind, com
bined with the b eathing influences OF heart
and soul, drew all MEN toward h,m, and he
held fast their affection as with hooks OF
steel Never did man in so brief Il career
achieve such a wide spre Vi and deeply deserv.
ed popularity. His soldiers mu-L have idol
lied him. Leaving New Orleans IS Captain
of the Orleans Cadets, in the brief space OF 8
far ycoka hn of hta orio oi vtoJ
him out from his peers and the respon sible
posi- ition Of Lieu tenant Col mel was ass igned
MIN He took the head OF his command on 8
field which would have been rende red famous
by his deeds of vaior had not d-at ath marE-d
him for victim There are souls which can
feel that the end of life is approaching In
his letters to his wife he often spoke OF
The uncertainty Of life, yet sought "a
cheer her to bear that which he musl
have felt was drawing near. His heart
must have been filled with insf able sadness
He must have seen the light OF eternity steal
Ing through the gates OF heaven as he SLEPT
under the broad canopy Of the ornament, aud
seen with the eyes Of his home wandering
soul the loved forms at home hovering ovel
his slumbers Yet never did he falter in the
pursuit OF his profession. 1t was on the nigh
of the fifth OF the present mon tn that he led q
reconnoitering party in the vicinity of New
port News II must have been q noble sigh,
to have seen him, as the light OF the battle
was ON his brow, marshaling his force int.
line, the metallic nO'es OF his on voice sound
ing in the Businesses of the forest, then wher
he felt the gush OF his lite blood through tnt
lips OF a mortal wound, stiliing his proud and
dauntiess heart, and startiing the echoes ol
eternity with the last adieu of his depar ting
soul. az Lawrence. when the grape shot wal
in his ear. crying, Boys, don't surrender =
a<terward pilio wing mis- dropping head on ths
breast OF his valiant soldiers kneeling beside
him.
He has fallen, and At the hands Of whom
know The mind OF Gen. Scott to be Of toe
martial cast to be easily moved but wher
the news Of this death reached his ears, hs
must have thought Of him who caused K
blaze all the deeds Of mis- lite woo from Nj.
agara 70 the shores OF the 4usf filled ths