The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1871-03-11
Death of Gen. NIagruder.

'Iio CHittu otatcS Military Academy from
that State in 1876. He was commission
ca Second Lieutenant by btevet in the
'th Infantry, July ], 1880, and In the lst
Artillery in 1881; was assistant Com
mlssarr of Subsistence in 1885, promot-
to lst lieutenancy in March 1896, and
to cartaiDcy in June 1896; was brevc-
tea Major for gallantry at Cerro Gordo
Aprllio, le47, commanded battery of
light artillery in Gen. Pillows division ::
was breveted Lieutenant Colonel for
gallantry at Chapultepec, in which battle
he WAS wounded.
! At the beginning of the war of Sc
cession he resigned his commission as
full Colonel of artillery, and entered the
service of Virginia as Colonel of volun-
t'crs, and served with great gallantry
! and efficiency in Virginia until 1863,
when he was transferred to the Trans
mississippi Department, commanding
the subdivision of Texas, where, aside
from his we'll known. military achiev-
mentS, he won the esteem and honorable
frlcncship of very many soldiers and cit
lz"ns. hey have recently presented to
the brave and very accomplished veteran
a fine plantation with improvements in
order to secure his residence In that
State.
! Such are the brief and unsatisfactory
records of army registers. We cannot
let the gallant Nirginian pass to his rest
! with so dull and plain a scroll upon his
shield. tie was more to us all than the
soldier and his history can only be told
hy one who knew him we'll, and knew
the story of his times and of the men
who were his fellow wcbsters in making
the woof of history.
Cen. Magruder was born in Port
; Royal, Caroline county, in the Tide
/ Water region of the valley of the Rap
pahannock. After having received an
excellent elementary education, inclu-1
ding the rudiments OF Greek, Latin and
French, from private tutors and at the
academies, he became a student of the
University of Virginia, then just inaug
urated under the auspices of ex-Presi
dent Jefferson and the rectorshi p of ex
President Madison, ex-President Monroe
being one of the Board of Visitors. lie
was a relative by blood to Monroe, and
4 cousin Of Jefferson by the marriage OF
his niece with Charles Bankhead. From
these relatives and from their associates
with wlron he often met on familiar
terms, lie imbibcd the patriotic ideas by
which Ire was always afterwards impell-
cd and guided. BY these teachings he
became imbucd with patriotism, and in
order to enter more actively into the ser
vice of his country he accepted a cadets
appointment to the West ls,int Military
Academy after having been only two
years at the University Of Virginia. lle
became the highest military officer in
the corps, and graduated well up in his
class. After graduating he married the
daughter of Bernard j. Won kaptf, an
eminent aud esteemed merchant of Bal
timorc.
Magruder was first ordered to duty at
Fortress Monroe, and WAS sent thence TO
North Carolina There he studied law
with Judge VIM. CASTOR, and was ad-
mitted to the bar after IL public examl-
nation by the Supreme Court, ut Raleigh,
will, mutl, praise for his entertainments
But the Florida war coming on, he gave
up the design of practicing law and re.
turned to his first profession, serving
with distinction. -:
As noted above, Magruder entered
upOn the war with Mexico as q lieute-
nant and came out IA lieutenant colonel,
participating in the battles of Resaca,
Palo Alto, Matamoros, Vera Cruz, Cerro
Gerdo, Contreras, Churubusco, Molina
del Rev, Clapultepec and the Larritos
At six different times he was officially
reported rs distinguished for gallant
conduct in the presence Of the enemy.
The Mexican war closing, Magruder
was ordered to California, where he took
part in the Indian wars of that region.
lie commanded at New Port, X. L.. in
81, SO and SO, where he was noted for
the elegant hospitality dispensed at his
quarters. In 80 and go, he was chief of
the School of Practice of Light Artillery,
Mt Fort Leavenworth, which he brought
to great perfection. Iu 1860 he was sent
as one of the military commission to Ln-
rope, to Inspect and report on the organ
izatiuu, tactics and condition of the Eu-
ropean armies. A dispatch from the
War Department recalled him. lie
found his command at Washington, but
after. IL months service rendered his re-
sicnati0r~to President Lincoln, which
was excepted. He took leave of his old
comrades, passed to Richmond, and re-
ceived the appointment of Colonel of
infantry, from the Governor of his State.
When the President and Cabinet of the
Confederate Statrs arrived at Richmond,
Mac,r,lcr was appointed II Li"utcnant
Colou, of artillery, equipped and drilled
thirteen light batteries for the tl-ht nc
Manassas. won the battle OF Big Bethel,
aud i'm three months became succrSSlvc'y
Colonel, Brigadicr and Mayor General;
Thc furtitications whicl, he constructe"
across the peninsula, aAistancc "i twelve
miles, were spoken of as the most Sn-
prrb Of modern times by McCleiian. ne
defended it with about eleven thousand
men foot 10y foot against the great Feo-
cral army for several days until the ar
rival Of Gen. Jo. Johnston with rein
forcements, TINS saving krchmond. FOE
these services he was highly c"mpl'-
mented by Gen. Johnston IN au eloquent
order. e..
In the s'seveu days. battles" he was
particularly distinguished in the fights
of Savage Station and Malvern Hill;
His conduct ut the latter was approved