Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-02-06
From the Lynchburg viginian. 27th ult.


The Knoxville Register comes to in mourning y
the death of this brave and excellent man. whose loss
Tennessee it considers almost irreparable. lndee
all OF our contemporaries OF the press seem to unite
their testimony to his merits and their rgre at his u
timely end There has not been such general express
sion OF grief at the fall ofany other officer during the
The relation 10 which the writer of this article stood
to the deceased enables him to communicate facts con-
corning the General that not known to the public,
nut which may 10 crafty those who feel any m
terest in his history When great man falls or one
who has held conspicuous position before his country
M very natural desire prvais to know all about him.
Gen. Z0llicoffer decended from noble family, in
that home of the brave and free-Switzerand. His
grandfather George ZolicOer, came, we believe from
ST. GauI's and settled in North Carolina about the
commencement of orr Revolutionary troubles and served
as an officer ia the American army during that struggle
Another member of the family, John Conrad Zolli-
Golfer, who officer in the French army, threw up
his commission and came over about the same time
was furnished with letter from Sias Deane, our first
commissioner the French Court (which letter is now
10 possesSon,) accepted commission from the Gov
ernOr of North Carolina aud served in the until he
was taken prisoner and released on parole. That COM
mission in the possession OF his Rev Daniel
IZ1llicofer of Maryland, AS illustrating the taken
by those old barona families of Europe preserve
faithful record Other lineage every where may state
that it is the practise still the family with which the
late Gen. ZolicOer connected to keep up constant
communication with the branch in America. 1t is
never o. ana every
in the male branch of the family is sent for record in
the genealogical table which is preserved in SwiZer
land The Oldest living member Of the House In this
country is by courtesy Baron, the head of the tribe
and IL regular receipt OF yearly annuity from Swift
q Rand When he dies, this distinction and annuity
will pass 10 the oldest living male member OF bis branch
whether it be the issue of his body of collateral
branch Of Il e family.
Tie head Of this branch Of the family at this time,
q the gentleman before mentioned resident ia Mary
land. These distinctions founded on European titles
weigh little with US, not being suited to plain
publican notions yet, the taken by those cid fam
lies TO prCs records OF their lineage is very
dabe, and appears in striking contrast with the Amer
practice. Here the growth of the country is not
more rapid than the progress OF collateral branches Of
the same tamil in the work of celebrating all traces OF
common aGct stry.
Alter two generations pass, the proofs Of common
parentage frequently lost that it would require
antiquarian to the branches to their parent
source. In this respect we like the European practice
better than own.
1t will appear from this brief sketch that Gen. Zoll
Golfer not the mere advenurer that Forney in the
extract from his Press, which we published on Satur-
day, would make him ous. II pride of birth and the
services OF revolutionary sres entitled him to promi-
nence, (which he claimed that accOunt) he
surely stood upon high ground any other man in the
State. But his character and abilities constituted
claims which bis cOunrynfen not slow to perceive
and though in the very prime of lite when be fell in the
service of his country be had been honored with many
trusts, through long series of years and faithful
Ia them all. Dtsctnd from of freemen and
heroes, it natural for him to draw his sword in de-
fence of the liberties of the people and such the
stern stuff Of which be was made that he would have
sacrificed thousand lives rather than have yielded to
the demands OF the vulgar tyrant at Washington.
All honor to his memory for no drawer Or better man
has fallen will fall in this struggle for Southern free
dom and independence, than Felix Kirk L ,llcOftr.