The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-12
ELGEE AND WITHERS.

ELGEE AND w1THERs.
The Republicans reference to Slidell, With
ers and Elgee in its issue Of Friday is incor'
rect in point of fact and inference.
l It was in 1860 that John Kingsbury Elgee
bought from D. D. withers plantation and
slaves, situated in Mississippi, the buyer being
about to settle in New Orleans and the seller
to 20 to New York. The property which
changed hands was very valuable, and the
transaction left Mr.. Elgee largely in debt to
Mr. Withers, at one period as much as mil
lion of dollars Mr.. Withers resided in New
Orleans, managing his capital with great skill
as inancier, merchant and operator. Mr..
Elgee resided in Alexandria, Rapides parish,
where he settled few months after arriving
in America from his native Ireland. Mr..
Withers was esteemed by many pub
lie men of all parties as very
able fnancier and legislator, while
Mr.. Elgee was chiefly noted as an eloquent,
learned and successful lawyer. Withers was
30 little partisan that those who knew him
for years scarcely remember to what party he
belonged at the time of his election to the
State Senate. although they remember his
invaluable services as q member. Elgee waa
q Wing until the Wing party was superseded
by the Native American party, from which his
foreign birth virtually excluded him. He al
ways inclined to doctrine of the federal cast
He supported Breckenridge for the Presi-
dency, and gave to the Democratic cause the
benefit of his counsel and talents He made
ct Alexandria speech of five hours duration,
in which, varied with wit, poetry, and aneo-
dote, he presented an epitome of the history
and doctrine of parties from the earliest days
Of the colonies.
The three named esteemed one another,
but there was nothing of the nature of triple
alliance among them as represented by the
Republican. Like all men of high character
and great talents they knew and appreciated
each other by instinct There was no init
mate social intercourse among them and two
of them, Withers and Elgee, gave
TO politics but a,small share of their attention.
Mr.. Elgee never sought or held political or
Legislative Office, and many men of both par
ties expressed regret that the State had not
the benefit of ability of such high order. He,
by the solicitation of Gov. T. O. Moore, Hon.
8. A. Smith, Hon. T. G. Manning, Hon. L.
Texada and many others, consented to repre-.
sent Rapides in that very able and honorable
State Convention which passed the ordinance |
- kvv Ia 81 nck MI IT.
was delegate because it was the universal !
desire that matter of such supreme import |
Is then agitated the whole Republic should |
be deliberated upon by the very ablest men in |
the State, and men of high character But |
neither John K. Elgee nor D. D. Withers |
sought disunion, the latter having little to do |
with public affairs at that time, while the |
former accepted secession more in sorrow |
than in anger, and as ami imposed necessity.
In recovering his debt from Egees estate
Withers pursued very natural course. Men
who are mortgage creditors to the extent of
81, 900, 900 are rather liable to wish for their
money and to get it by legal and proper
means when they can. If Elgee had lived
ew years longer, in spite of the changes and
osses by the war, there is but little doubt
hat he would have rebuilt his fortune and
ettled with his creditor.
The mention Of the name of John K Elgee
evives pleasant recollections of genial, hos
'itable, social gentleman, whose varied infor-
nation, cheerful manners and remarkable
Conversational talent made him most highly
steemed companion to those who deserved
lis friendship. He was stalwart in frame
nd of impressive port and mien. He was
ordly also in his ideas and magnanimous in
lis sentiments, yet as essentially Irish in wit
nd humor as in eloquence and generosity.
[e was the owner of very large law library
nd another of miscellaneous books, and
cling an industrious student, with q power
Il memory, he carried much of his library in
is head. His books, furniture and village
roperty we're destroyed by fire, by the
oops, when the Federal army, under Banks.
,treated through Alexandria after their cot
N hunting tour to Mansfield.