Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-11-13
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W. hnNt a'l"9t W oHe"oJ WV ie"h ~
notice appropriately the demise in oul
midst Of Col. Edward u. Porter 1t wal
not because we had no tear OF affection
to spare for bis grave, with whom, in hi
lifetime we had the honor and pleasure
Of being on terms Of intimacy and friend
ship, but much from the oompulsion o.
circumstances and engagements We
could not control. There were two re
spects in which Col Porter was particu
larly remarkable and eminent. He had
as noble heart as ever beat in man
bosom, and for gallant conduct and
dauntless courage as an officer of the
Confederate forces, he was not excelled
by any other. Unseen causes often pre-
vent men offirst rate abilities from being
as widely known and honored as they
deserve to be. And they operated to an
extent in his case, for without them, and
with opportunity equal to his talents, his
name would have been written unob-
scurely where it deserved to have been
among the brightest lights of the South
in its era of disaster. He was well edu
Gated, and a man of abilities equalled by
very few of his age. As friend he was
liberal to fault, earnest, ardent and
true. As christian he was better than
many, who to oil outward appearances,
never slipped or faltered. In what he was,
he was genuine, unostentatious aud sin
cere. He loved his country and his kind,
and sought always to do good to both,
and wrong to none. He was, we believe,
the best cavalry leader of his rank in the
western army--certainly he was unsur
passed for all the higher qualities Of the
field officer and the soldier He went
into the service from no motives or
impulses but the sense Of duty to country,
and from emotions Of patriotism which
could not be repressed, leaving his young
wife and darling children at home. And
he was never in his life conscious of
being less lover of his country than the
success Of his cause would have written
him in indelible lines on the immortal
tablet of history. He lived to lay down
his arms before the conqueror when
success was no longer possible, but his
health was broken in the contest, and he
has finally fallen a victim as the result
of it. Thus pass away the good, the
brave and the noble-the flower of our
people and the loftiest representatives of
:heir former glory. We bid adieu in the
sad farewell until we meet again. With
his surviving relatives We can but con-
dole, in the assurance that what is so
mournful to them is yet well for him.
We subjein the following clipped from
the tribute Of friend through the AUa-
lanche:
Il is with feelings of profoundest sor-
row that we utter those sad words, " He
is no more" Oh twas bright,genial
spirit that the Angel of Death sum-
moned away on that sad night in October.
We miss that ever cheerful smile, the
kindly greeting, the warm grasp of true
friend, and the earth seems less attrac.
tive. he possessed, in an eminent de-
gree, those qualities of mind and heart
that always made him welcome guest.
As soldier in the lost cause, many will
bear testimony to his courage and devo-
ton to principle. Early in the contest
he received a commission from President
Davis to raise an independent company
known as Porter's Partisans With this
command he repaired to Fort Pillow,
there and at Columbus
until the evacuation of those places,
when his company was regularly mus.
tered into the Confederate service in
this department He was connected
with General Forests command at TIE
time of the surrender Those wsr.worn
veterans will ever remember, with tear
ful emotions, his soulstirring address
delivered on that sad occasion. Men
who had braved dangers and death in
many hard fought battles, stood with un.
covered heads, and wept like children,
as he recounted their toll, privations and |
sufferings, and urged them to return
peacefully to their homes, and to show
true men and patriots in the |
future as they had ever done in the past.
This he did himself Returning to the |
home of his childhood in our midst,
around which clustered the sacred |
associations of early youth, with |
its bright, golden dreams of future |
promise; then the ripening into the |
vigor of manhood, when he in measure
realized the dreams of youth; for he
lsbored in and for the Church Of Christ.
Many will remember his eloquent and
forcible appeals in behalf of Christian-
ity, and the religion of that Master whom
he loved and served, though like Peter,
following afar of. His style |
was peculiarly foPciblei yet embellished
with beautiful imagery calculated to fix
the attention, and at the same time he
forced conviction of truth by the power
and eloquence of his argument
We hope and believe, that souls were
saved through his instrumentality, who
will sparkle as stars in his crown of re-
joicing.
His loss is deeply felt by a devoted
wife and afflicted father and mother, who
mourn an only son; and by a large circle
Of friends, to whom his presence always
lent charm. RIM.