The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-06-28
Dealt. of Charlie. Elicit. 5r.

| The Philadelphia Inquirer states that Charles FL
lett Jr died at Cairo, Saturday. the 2lst inst from
the effects of wound received in the late engage
| ment AT Memphis. The last publication perhaps
which he ever made was his report of that engage.
/ ment as Colonel commanding water rams" He
| was understood to have been but slightly wounded
i'm that combat of boats; but that injury reported
| as slight terminated his career.
He was a native of Pennsylvania, and born in
! Penn Manor in 1870 His parents were Charles
and Mary Elicit, the latter of whom is still living
in Philadelphia at the advanced age of eiShty-two
years.
Mr. Elicit had passed large part of bis life in
this State, following his pursuit of civil engineer
He was consulting engineer with Judge Wright, on
the James River and Kauawha Canal at its COM
mencement and was employed at different times
other pub! works in Virginia He wasa man of
fine taentsand very bod and ambitious one. He
wrote well and great de; for the presson dispute
questions of engineering, and published abstruse
book on his science Among his many schemes, adj.
Fvoeated with great plausibty the proposition
for ship canal and basin at this place, about the
year 1855 The canal to he cut from the foot
OF The falls across the Falls Plantation, to
warwick bar the dam to be built across the river
ab0sf Mayo's bridge This proposition was dis
cusscd SO plausbly by him that some of the wsest
and most sagacious men Of the city approved il,
including DR.. Brockenbrough, Richard Andersen,
the Gwathmeys, and others, men of controlling in
Auence. But the project did not long survive-a
little reflection caused its abandonment believe,
by all but the gentleman who proposed it, Anoth.
er sugge stion, of much greater magnitude and far
more visionary, was that by which he proposed to
ne 81
Virginia reservoirs for the supplying of that river
with water for navigation during the dry season of
summer. He proposed to dam those tributaries,
and thus keep on hand the summer supply, to be
disbursed in nstalments needed by the Ohio
This would have OVERLOOKED many thousands Of
acres of the prettest valleys of the Kanawha, New
River aud Grecnbrier regions. The scheme set
Cincinnati in blaze of enthusiasm transcending in
briaucy its best lard candles; but it needed the
appreciation of rirgiaia-the source as well as the
conduit of the supply which Mr. Elicit, by a sweep
of the pen had conured up to the admiration Of the
people Of Pittsburg and Cincinnati. This it was
impossible to obtain, SO the scheme fell dead
Treated with great Consideration always at the
South and with especial favor in Virginia. he re.
Quilted both ny becoming ut the beginning of this
war one of the most bitter aud into!erant of our
enemies At Washington he prepared map of
Virginia to aid the invaders robbers, and ma
RAIDERS from the North to prosecute the better their
nefarious war; True to his ambitious character he
nat his own aspirations for military appointment
very high, and rewarded, rather disap-
pointed, with the post of Colonel. Recently he has
been the bitter assaant Of Mcclellan, and rumor
did say that he even aspred to supplant that famous
officer, who has more fame at less cost than any
other military man Of the day. Colonel Elicit not
only pointed ont the defects OF the General, but in
dcaied how things might be done. He failed, how
ever Of all expectations beyond his Colonelcy and
received his death wound as commander Of "water
rams"
He was buried on the 25th instant a, Laurel Hill.