Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-07-25
THE LATE JOHN POTTS
HIS LIFE AND SERVICES.
Ao,Isu orlLr I,,L.srm. va, pcparlm.s,

morning Of the death, At an early hour. Of John
Potts, eco, the chief clerk Of the War Depart.
meat, In Whose uninterrupted service he had
been for the past thirty.six years. Tho lament.
able event was not unsxpeetod, after the nuctu.
ations IN his condition for the past Few days but
when II was Known that there was no longer
the opportunity Of hope, = sincere and universal
grief sett ed upon the whole Department. with
the promptltude that marks his every act, tho
Secretary Of war 'himseli prepared a general
order announcing In hitting terms the death Of
his faithful subordlpate, WHOM he was mindful
h. Distinguish Ia this last tribute 10 departed
worth ~ his personal friend, knowing that
RawIlns or stanton, had they not gone before,
would have hastened to have sail the same.
some time before no entered the War once,
10 1880, MI Potts was appointed by the PTesl.
dent cadet atlargo TO the Military Academy,
but Tearing that no had been substituted Tor
another young man 70 whom the appointment
had been promised, no declined 10 20 10 Veal
Point, and thus enabled the original intention
Of the President 70 be hilnlled. Surlende ring
10 this manner Ms youthtal military ambition,
he sat himself down to q useful aud In many TO
spscts an arduous civil career. For thirty years
he allied In our War DepaflmsntA position anal.
oEous 10 that Of permanent under. secretary
In an English executive Department. and II IL
said Of him that, though he made no enemies,
the oficlAl relations that began with those who
succeeded one another In the chief once Of the
Department always ended 10 personal friend.
shlp. Floyd parted with him In cordially
when no went to execute the treason he had
secretly plotted, and Holt and Cameron trusted
him inplloitiy, and wore loyalty and encrgst-
ically served ID thsir sndeaVOr 10 break down
the installations and consplrAolss Of their pre-.
dseessors
IL W the lasting honor Of the deceased ON.
clal that whom temporarily doposed BY Secretary
Floyd IRON the chief elorkship Of the war 10.
partmsnt II was on the privately assigned eads5
that he had confidential matters to arrange that
he did not think bis then chief clerk would care
10 msjdis with. The latter consequently 10.
came the dIsburang clerk, and, by hIs long eIps.
riencs tho actual chief In ali matters Of routine
and detail when war broke out IN 1901 tie.
mendous burton fell for iIms upon the shoul.
dsfs Of the dlsburang clerk" and he was 70.
stored 10 tluio to bis former place; but as the
executive duties Of tho Department boEan In
time TO run easy 10 the new channel provided,
while the disbursements kept Increasing, Secre.
tGry Stanton, who had succeeded Mr.. Cameron,
determIned TO Keep tho findS 10 the safe hands
that then controlled them, and II vas not tiii
the Department had somewhat recovered It's
ante bthun status that the chief clerk was en-.
Abled to emerge from among the millions, " all
present or accounted for" and resume the proper
functions Of his once r.a
Mr.. Potu was native u the district Of 70.
lumbiA, and at the time Of his death, ami for
tsyeral years befOre, was q vestrymAn Of the
Epiphany church, on O street Some weeks
ago he eommsncel his arrangements to sail Cor
Europe with bis daughter, who was 10 be mar.
ried abroad, but was taken down with local
dropsy and arrangement Of the Intestinal or.
gaus, and never rose again. Hts funeral Il
nEed for this afternoon, At O'Clock, Irrm tho
family residence, on Seventeenth street, near
the War Department and the palLbearers are
70 10 Secretary Belkuap, AdiutAnt General
ToAnisnd, Surgeon General Barnes, Assistant
sirEeon Crhde, inspector General Sshrlver,
donsraf Parks Of the Enslassr boTps, MT. r.
5. UhsR, Of the State Department, add st.
wa. d. IIsa, Of tie War once. The War DE-
partment clerks will attend the tdncrai IN 4
body.
with tho Death Of Mf. Potts passes away an.
other Of the IeG depOsitaries Of the really great
teercls II state PeTtElnlns to the late rebellion
me late ssoretRry stanton knew whereof no
spoke When he commented him TO the present
head Of the Department as "a perfectly incor.
Tuptlbie man" Neither tho pleaded sxigsncisS
Of politics, Rs they arose, nor the persuasive
seekers aher "histOTic truth" could induce him
to utter nuEht Of what had been lett with him
10 confidence.
NETTING on ThE war DRrARTNKNT ULEREs
A meeting Of the employees Of the War lie.
partment and its bureaus Was called yesterday
the doaih az Iohn POtt6 can chIef CLARK m The
Department, and AFTER preliminary organization,
II. 7. Crosby, eco, acting chief clerk, UAs called
10 the chair, and DR.. W. T. Barnard appointed
Upon occupying The chair, AIR. Crosby said
QKNfLgnBN AHb fKitoN-CLEREs; 1 do not
ssL nssslI saSsi e fSprss.!PF The GSoilqg,
Out lAte and laIhsnted ohlsL 1 know him cot
about eight years. He wa gentleman such Is
we seldom meet warm. hearted, kind friend,
midst Al any time, and whose departure all who
knew him must greatly lament.
Expressions Of sympathy for the beToAVed
family and iostimonlals OF regard we're then
.On motion Of Mr.. John d. Tanner, Messrs.
Richard NJ. Hanson, Cottulssary 0sneLglI
J. warred were appointed Z committee to drai II.
series OF resolutions expressive Of the feelings
Of the meeting, and alter consultation reported
tho fOllOWihgi
whereas Il has pleased Divine Providence to
take from Us our beloved friend and chief clerk,
Johu pOtta Whoas lang aaaoslalInn nth ua No
endearod him to Us and awakened our profound,
est respect and esteem for his high character
and many ylTtuosi therefore, he II
Nt9Vtal Lh nay IN NJ, ueath We experience the
loss o. KIND friend Always s9iicltious for our
MSuAie anu MNAys slehly anu ulslntereatedly
ReSOipsd, That We have lost chief clerk
whose courtesy, Aoiiy, deVouon 70 duty, and
h,lsh lhtesrii.y were the admiration and emnlA-
uOn o. us alt and whose memory II Is our plea
sure 10 cherish and VenerAte.
Mtoiped, ThAt our deepest sympathy Is ex'
Tended V MS distressed mmlly In this their hour
ol AnKuihh' but knowing AND Appreciatlng his
christian charactsE and virtues, We feel that no
~ Iest 10 That blessed haven, THE bosom OF
MS tAtheI AND DIS uOd.
hsiOlped, That, as a marx OF respect, the
clerks OF the war Department Will attend the
funeral.
HfsoIved, That copy Of these resolutions bo
enRfoased and sent 10 the family OF the deceased
Mr koyeloth, superintendent OF WindPr'1
hulldink, In aeconding the motion for the AdOp.
uon Of those resolutions, spoke In becoming and
earnest Language o. his virtues aud character
ash friend and public onicer.
The resolutions were unanimously adopted
WIN strong evidences o. tooling and sorrow on
tbe part OF those present,